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Mayer said: “It was not fun being in Florida, watching your team in New York play after putting months into it. . . . You’re just pissed when that happens. It’s our dream to play here, and when you play in the organization like this, all you want to do is win and you play the whole season to get to the playoffs. So when you’re not in, it’s gut-punching.”
Anthony was on an accelerated rehab schedule, pushing for a potential ALCS return. When the Sox’ season ended, the rush disappeared. He wasn’t back to normal physically until about Thanksgiving, he said.
Mayer said he “pretty much” is having a normal pre-spring training ramp-up. The Red Sox don’t expect any limitations once camp begins.
“It seems like his offseasons the last two or three, he’s always rehabbing or trying to catch up,” manager Alex Cora said of Mayer. “Not this year.”
Both figure prominently into the Red Sox’ 2026 plans, Anthony as an everyday corner outfielder (and potentially their best hitter) and Mayer as maybe the starter at second or third.
One change for the best buds: They decided they won’t be roommates this year.
“Time to grow up a little bit,” Anthony said. ”We were laughing about it.”
Bregman’s ‘court’
As Alex Bregman’s free agency drags on for a second time in as many offseasons, Cora had a message: “The ball is in his court.”
“Obviously we’ve been working together to see what happens, but obviously it’s a different offseason for Alex,” Cora said. “You guys know how I feel about him. Last year he checked all the boxes that I knew he was going to check, and he checked some boxes that people didn’t know that he was going to check. Just let him work.”
Red Sox players were consistent in saying they hope Bregman, their leader last year, returns.
“I love Breggy,” Anthony said. “I would love for him to be hitting behind me for as long as he can. He knows where I stand with him.”
Team president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow declined to comment on their talks with Bregman. Breslow, noting that the free agent market has moved slowly, said the Red Sox “remain engaged” in trying to add a hitter.
“He’s still out there, which means we have a chance to sign him,” Breslow said.
Asked about the Red Sox having not signed any free agents yet, Kennedy highlighted the club adding payroll via trades.
“We’re still in January, and the rules of the road are, there’s no there’s no deadline here to sign free agents,” Kennedy said. “It’s been slow on the free agent side for us. We get that, but we’re continuing to push.”
Speaking at Fenway Fest, Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez said Venezuela needed to have President Nicolás Maduro removed from power.Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Narváez on Venezuela
Carlos Narváez, a Venezuela native, was happy to see his country freed of Nicolas Maduro, the then-president whom the United States arrested in a middle-of-the-night operation this month.
“As a country, I know it was needed,” he said. “It’s not a secret. It’s been tough years, you know? So I know a lot of people died in that situation, but at the same time, I think the country needed that.”
Narváez noted that his family and friends back home, including an uncle in the capital city of Caracas, are safe and sound. Although he has returned to Venezuela each of the previous two offseasons to play in the country’s winter league, he is a full-time resident of Miami, having brought his family over about a half-decade ago.
Narváez wanted to represent Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic in March. But he was denied the insurance required by teams/MLB because of the left knee surgery he had in October.
He declared himself fully recovered from that operation and will be “ready for the first day of spring training.”
“I’m doing everything right now, so if I need to play tomorrow, I can,” he said.
Casas welcomes Contreras
Among those supportive of the Red Sox’ acquisition of Willson Contreras: Triston Casas, the former starting first baseman who now is blocked indefinitely.
“He’s a better player than me and has been for his entire career,” Casas said. “So to have an upgrade at a position that has been deficient for the last two years is exactly what the team needed. So hopefully I can come back to [be] the player that I was a couple years ago and know that I can be and contribute to a team in whatever fashion, at whatever position they see fit for me.”
Casas said being ready for Opening Day will be a “tight squeeze,” since that will be just shy of 11 months after his left knee surgery. Doctors have told him recovering from a torn patellar tendon operation requires about 12. He hopes to play in some spring training games.
Story time
Trevor Story in recent days hosted another successful Camp Story, the annual winter get-together — for workouts and camaraderie — for a bunch of Sox at his Texas home. This year’s crew was Anthony, Mayer, Jarren Duran, Connor Wong, Tristan Gray, and Mikey Romero.
“Got to see the boys and catch up and talk the ball, do some fun stuff, and I got to show them some Texas culture a little bit,” Story said. “Went to get them some custom cowboy hats, and made them feel real cowboy.”
Righthanded reliever Mike Timlin (right) will be one of three players inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.Davis, Jim Globe Staff
Top of the class
A trio of World Series champions headlined the new class for the Red Sox Hall of Fame, unveiled Saturday: Jon Lester (2007 and 2013), Johnny Damon (2004), and Mike Timlin (2004 and 2007).
“It’s a little overwhelming,” said Timlin, the only one of the three present Saturday. “I’ve never really considered myself to be that level of a player.”
Also being inducted are Sherm Feller, the public address announcer from 1967-93 and — in the “Memorable Red Sox Moment” category — Bill Mueller’s walkoff home run against the Yankees on July 24, 2004, a day best remembered for the Jason Varitek/Alex Rodriguez fight.
Kristian Campbell heading into his second major league season: “I feel a lot more relaxed and like I know it’s kind of going on around me now. Last year, I was just kind of all over the place, because I didn’t really know what to expect” . . . Ceddanne Rafaela will “probably not” play second base this year, Cora said . . . Kutter Crawford, who missed last season because of knee and wrist injuries, said he threw off a mound for the first time Friday . . . Cora said he is “not there yet” on choosing a leadoff hitter but noted that Contreras probably will bat fourth in addition to playing first base “every day” . . . Kennedy and Breslow endorsed MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s idea of having some sort of transaction deadline/freeze during the offseason . . . Assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson will serve as the hitting coach for Great Britain in the WBC . . . Breslow said it was “never likely,” in his view, that the Red Sox would trade an outfielder this offseason . . . Payton Tolle said he is a big Sam’s Club fan and would be open to an endorsement deal.
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.