The World Champion Boston Red Sox will begin defending their title Thursday night in Seattle against the Mariners. And there are a lot of familiar faces on this year's roster.
Almost all the starting position players from last year's World Series team are back for Boston, although postseason hero Steve Pearce and veteran Dustin Pedroia will start the season on the injured list.
One key player on last year's team not returning is closer Craig Kimbrel, who the Red Sox did not sign after his contract expired.
While there are some holes in the bullpen, all of the big names from the starting rotation are back, including ace Chris Sale, who recently signed a new contact with the Sox.
Rick Porcello, David Price, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez will round out Boston's corps of starting pitchers.
Boston is seeking to become the first back-to-back World Champions since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
The Red Sox will play their first 11 games on the road: Four in Seattle, four at the Oakland Athletics and three in Phoenix versus the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The home opener at Fenway Park will be Tuesday, April 9, with the Toronto Blue Jays serving as the opposition.
