Red Sox's C.J. Chatham: Possible spot on expanded roster

Chatham is one of a few prospects that could land a spot on Boston's expanded roster, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

With speculation that minor league baseball may be canceled in 2020, there are reports that MLB teams will be able to expand rosters to 30 and could increase them by another 20 players with something akin to the NFL's practice squad. That creates an opportunity for Chatham, who was added to Boston's 40-man roster during the offseason. The 25-year-old shortstop added second base to his defensive profile in 2019, playing the position at Triple-A Pawtucket as well as in the Arizona Fall League. Second base has become a long-term spot of uncertainty due to Dustin Pedroia's lingering knee issues, so there could be a path for Chatham, who is considered the team's best pure hitting prospect by MLB.com. The knock on him is that he doesn't hit for much power and has an aggressive approach that limits getting on base. One of Chatham's stated goals in 2020 is to add more walks, plus he is coming off a season where he had more extra-base hits and total bases in 2019 than he did in 2018 in approximately the same number of at-bats.