Red Sox Further Whittle Down Roster, Option Nick Sogard

As spring training gets closer to concluding, the Boston Red Sox have continued to shape their Opening Day roster. On the first day of March Madness, the team optioned and reassigned multiple players to the minor leagues.

The team wound up optioning two players, including one member of last year's roster in Nick Sogard. He was joined by Tsung-Che Cheng. Sogard appeared in 30 games last season for Boston, providing defensive versatility for the organization while also securing a few clutch hits at the plate. Overall, he hit .260/.317/.344 with eight doubles and nine RBIs. Sogard also played a big role in the Red Sox's Game 1 win over the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.

Cheng, who was selected off waivers from the Nationals, is only 24 years old and made his debut last season with the Pirates. He went hitless in seven at-bats. Cheng was never expected to compete for a roster spot and instead will serve as depth in Triple-A.

Players who were reassigned to minor league camp include utility players Max Ferguson and Tyler McDonough, infielder Mikey Romer, outfielder Allan Castro, and first baseman and catcher Nathan Hickey.