Realmuto and other Phillies spoke wistfully of Suárez, who spent 14 years in the organization before reaching free agency and signing a five-year, $130 million contract with the Sox in January.
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José Alvarado said he misses his fellow Venezuelan and locker neighbor. Realmuto laughed at memories of the calm, cool, and collected Suárez taking his sweet time to cleanly field basically any ground ball and still get the out. Jesús Luzardo noted that he learned from his southpaw comrade the usefulness of keeping a steady mind regardless of the stage.
“He’s got the slow heartbeat, no matter how big the moment is, and that’s important, especially on a team like Boston,” Luzardo said. “Obviously, there’s high expectations, just like there is [in Philadelphia]. And he’s spent his whole career in a place where the expectation was always to win and the fan base always expected a lot out of the guys on the field. So I don’t see that being a problem for him going over there. He excels in those moments.”
Realmuto said: “He seems to always pitch better in the biggest moments. He’s been that way for a long time for us.”
Suárez postseason track record — 1.48 ERA in 11 games (eight starts) — was one reason the Red Sox were attracted to him. But so was his ability to pitch effectively despite well-below-average velocity.
“In this day and age, the game trends to guys throwing as hard as they can and the stuff has to be off the charts,” Luzardo said. “But he’s just a guy who is intelligent. He’s a thinker on the mound. He knows how to pitch. He doesn’t have to adapt to societal norms. He makes the game adapt to him, which is very cool to see.”
Alvarado, a reliever who averages 99 m.p.h. with his fastballs, is a very different kind of pitcher.
“Maybe he needs my velo,” Alvarado said. “But I need the innings he throws and the money he makes.”
Infield intrigue
Manager Alex Cora pointed to roster-focused meetings Sunday and Monday as a potential decision point about the infield alignment.
The Red Sox haven’t figured out yet where they want Caleb Durbin to play, third base or second. Marcelo Mayer is the heavy favorite to start at the other spot.
Thursday marked three weeks until Opening Day, and Cora doesn’t want this to drag on much longer.
“Hopefully we can [make] a decision,” Cora said. “We’re in no rush, but at the same time, it’ll be good for everybody to work [together at their respective positions].”
Run and games
Outfielder Braiden Ward had two more bunt hits and two more steals against the Phillies, tormenting Luzardo. Ward’s Grapefruit League average: .450 (with a 1.022 OPS and 10 stolen bases).
“As frustrating as it is as a pitcher to be out there when it happens to you, those are the types of guys that a lot of teams need,” Luzardo said.
Cora compared Ward to 2024 Jarren Duran, whose “slugging percentage was from his legs,” turning singles into doubles and doubles into triples.
“It’s an art, but it’s a tool. He knows who he is,” Cora said of Ward’s soft-contact-and-speed style. “There’s certain guys [for whom] that should be their game. But as an industry, we probably want them to swing the bat [so] we can get them to the point that they can do damage. Well, he’s doing damage in a different way.”
Meanwhile, at the Fort
Sonny Gray exercised his prerogative as a veteran and pitched in a simulated game at empty JetBlue Park rather than make the 270-mile round trip to face the Phillies.
Gray didn’t give up a hit over 3⅓ scoreless innings, walking two and striking out seven. He threw 36 of 52 pitches for strikes and retired the final five batters he faced.
It was a sharper outing than his spring debut on Saturday, when he threw only 13 of 31 pitches for strikes against the Twins.
“More strikes, but not enough,” Gray said. “It’s getting there.”
Facing a lineup that included Kristian Campbell, Andruw Monasterio, Carlos Narváez, and Mikey Romero, Gray worked quickly.
“The goal was 50-55 pitches, so it was a good day,” Gray said. “We’ll go from here.”
Aroldis Chapman and Patrick Sandoval also pitched. Chapman needed 19 pitches to get through his one inning, leaving two runners stranded with a strikeout of Monasterio.
Sandoval allowed one run on two hits over two innings with one strikeout. The lefthander threw 34 pitches as he continued his return from Tommy John surgery.
Old friend alert
Before the game, Cora spent time with former Red Sox boss Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations. “It’s always cool when you come here and he has a perspective of your team,” Cora said. “I love talking to him. And if he says we’re good, we’re good. He knows pitching. If he says we got pitching, we got pitching.” … Headlining the Red Sox’ preliminary roster for the Spring Breakout prospect showcase on March 20: righthanders Kyson Witherspoon (first-round draft pick last year) and Juan Valera (reaches 100 m.p.h. with his fastball), and corner outfielder Justin Gonzales (6 feet 6 inches and hits the ball as hard as almost anybody) … Reliever Vinny Nittoli, in camp on a minor league contract, tore a ligament in his right elbow and is visiting Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas to determine which major operation to get: Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure.
Peter Abraham of the Globe staff contributed to this report from Fort Myers, Fla.
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Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.