On Monday, the Red Sox equipment truck will begin its nearly 1,500 mile drive from Boston to Fort Myers, marking the unofficial start of the 2026 season.

With pitchers and catchers set to report next week, what can fans expect in the coming weeks and months? We answer your questions in a Red Sox mailbag.

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What are realistic expectations for both Triston Casas and Kristian Campbell on the major league roster this year? — @wcbosox on Bluesky

I think both could wind up playing a huge role on this team, but it’s probably best to keep expectations in check for the time being.

The path for Casas making an impact is fairly straightforward. Once fully healthy he should have an opportunity to earn regular at-bats as a designated hitter, and in a best case scenario he could break out as the middle-of-the-order force the Red Sox have always believed he could become.

The problem is Casas might not be ready for Opening Day, and even if he is, the Red Sox might still start him at Triple-A to get him regular playing time after missing most of the last two years due to injury. Casas faces a roster crunch too, because with four starting-caliber outfielders plus Masataka Yoshida, the DH spot is going to be in high demand.

Injuries, trades and other moves will inevitably shake things up, and that could help provide Casas the opening he needs to contribute. But I think the safest bet for now is to assume he starts the year in Worcester.

The situation with Campbell is a little more complicated.

On one hand, Campbell has an easier path to a starting job. The Red Sox don’t have established starters at second or third base, so until the club makes the infield addition they’ve promised he’s probably among the favorites to begin the season as the starting second baseman.

But chances are the Red Sox will eventually bring someone else in, and if you asked me who I think would have the upper hand in a camp competition between Campbell and Marcelo Mayer for the remaining infield spot, my instinct is Mayer would get the nod.

So that could also leave Campbell at Triple-A, which might not be a bad thing.

Talking to Campbell and Red Sox officials this offseason, one thing everyone can agree on is that once Campbell starts hitting again everything else will take care of itself. Campbell faced adversity last season and couldn’t keep his head above water, but for the first month he was one of the most productive rookies in MLB. It will be easier for him to make the necessary adjustments in Worcester, and once he does there’s no reason why he can’t be that player again.

When Campbell forces the issue the Red Sox will find him a spot. Again, injuries and other moves will determine what opportunities arise. But the key difference between this season and the mediocre stretch from 2022-24 is back then the Red Sox counted on guys like Casas and Campbell to make an impact. Now they have time on their side, and if there comes a point where their number is called, the two should be in a much better position to succeed.

Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes is potentially on the trade block and could be a logical target for the Red Sox. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox, File)

Infield help. What are the options still out there? — @charteroak on Bluesky

As far as free agency goes, there isn’t much.

Eugenio Suarez is the top remaining free agent infielder and as a right-handed power hitter he would certainly bolster the club’s lineup. The problem is he’s a poor defender who strikes out a ton, making him an imperfect fit for what the team needs.

After him the next best option would be Luis Arraez, who is fascinating in that he’s also an elite one-tool player — only hitting for contact instead of power — but similarly adds little value on defense or on the base paths. He also bats left-handed, so he wouldn’t help balance a lineup that already skews too heavily toward the left side.

Given the club’s surplus in both the outfield and starting rotation, swinging a trade makes the most sense at this point.

Over the past few weeks the players most commonly connected to the Red Sox have been Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan. Of that group my preference would be Hoerner, who is the best defensive second baseman in baseball and finished runner-up for the National League batting title last season.

The Cubs have an infield logjam now with Alex Bregman on board and could use pitching and outfield help, making the Red Sox a logical trade partner, but Hoerner will also command a high price despite only having one year remaining on his contract.

If not Hoerner, Paredes makes a lot of sense, too. He’s the best power hitter of the trio (20 homers in 2025) but also does a great job at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His right-handed swing would play beautifully at Fenway Park, though he’s a below average defender and runner. Houston has an infield logjam to clear as well, and Paredes has two years of team control remaining.

Donovan was an All-Star last year and can play a little bit of outfield, too, but as a left-handed hitter he doesn’t make as much sense roster-wise. My guess is if Chicago decides they don’t want to trade Hoerner, Paredes would be the most likely trade acquisition, though there could be other less obvious possibilities as well.

Any of the invitees to camp pique your interest, as far as making the Opening Day roster? — @finleycordain on Bluesky

I don’t think any of this year’s non-roster invitees stand out as obvious Opening Day candidates, but if there was any place an invitee might have an opportunity, it’s as a left-handed reliever.

Of that group there are two candidates I find intriguing: Alec Gamboa and Jeremy Wu-Yelland.

Gamboa has never pitched in the majors but has spent parts of three years at Triple-A. He also is coming off a successful season in Korea, posting a 3.58 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 108 innings for the Lotte Giants. Will that production translate now that he’s back stateside? Who can say. But with Jovani Moran and Tyler Samaniego currently the only lefty relievers on the 40-man besides closer Aroldis Chapman, Gamboa could have a realistic shot if he pitches well in camp.

Wu-Yelland is a longshot by comparison, but being invited to camp in itself is noteworthy.

Originally a fourth-round pick out of Hawaii in the 2020 MLB Draft, Wu-Yelland missed a ton of time due to injury throughout his professional career. He sat out all of 2022 and was limited to just three innings in 2023 due to Tommy John surgery, and he spent time on the IL in each of the past two seasons as well. But last year represented a big step forward for the lefty, as Wu-Yelland struck out 71 batters with a 3.15 ERA in 45 2/3 innings split between High-A and Double-A.

Wu-Yelland jumping straight from Portland to the Opening Day roster probably is unrealistic, but he’s still someone Red Sox fans should keep an eye on. He’ll most likely start the year in Triple-A, but I could absolutely see him coming up at some point midseason if the bullpen needs a fresh lefty.

Red Sox prospect Mikey Romero has been invited to big league camp this spring. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)

If the Red Sox don’t add an infielder, will Mikey Romero get a look in spring training? — Jason C.

Of all the non-roster invitees who will be in Fort Myers this spring, Romero is definitely the biggest name. The former first-round pick was taken ahead of Roman Anthony in the 2022 MLB Draft and last season finally started rounding into form after a couple of injury-plagued years to start his pro career.

All of that being said, Romero likely won’t sniff the Opening Day roster.

Even if the Red Sox don’t add any more infielders, the club is still well stocked with MLB-caliber utility players who are better suited for a bench role than Romero at this point in his career. Say we pencil in Willson Contreras at first base, Trevor Story at shortstop and Romy Gonzalez in a role to be determined, that leaves a maximum of three spots for some combination of Mayer, Campbell, Nate Eaton, David Hamilton and Nick Sogard.

Romero won’t beat out any of them, and with fewer than 200 plate appearances at Triple-A, he’s going to need more seasoning in the minors anyway. But between Story’s offseason camp, the Red Sox rookie development program and now big league spring training, Romero is getting valuable experience that should benefit him in the long run.

Red Sox rookie Connelly Early got the start in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series last fall against the New York Yankees. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Who do you think makes a bigger impact this season, Connelly Early or Payton Tolle? Or maybe you have a different prospect in mind? — @joesox1 on X/Twitter

Of all the prospects in the Red Sox system I think Early has the best chance to make an impact on this year’s team. He is more experienced than Tolle and right now has a more well-rounded arsenal. And while five MLB starts is a tiny sample size, Early posting a 3.13 ERA with 35 strikeouts and only five walks in 23 innings is pretty impressive.

To say nothing of the fact that one of those starts was the decisive Game 3 of the America League Wild Card Series in Yankee Stadium.

Does that mean Early will start the season on the Opening Day roster? My guess is probably not. His promotion to the majors last fall was driven largely by need, and with a much deeper starting rotation the Red Sox will probably start him off at Triple-A, where he only made six starts before his MLB call-up.

That being said, while one of Johan Oviedo, Kutter Crawford or Patrick Sandoval are the most likely candidates to start the season as the No. 5 starter, it’s not crazy to imagine Early could be so good in camp that he can’t be denied. Either way, injuries are a part of modern baseball and at some point the Red Sox will need to fill a hole, so when that happens expect Early to be one of the first men up, and if last year was any indication he could take that opportunity and run with it.