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“Right now he’s our first baseman. The catching stuff is still very much in play,” Boone said. “Then we’ll see how the offseason unfolds with where we are roster-wise going into spring training to how much catching that means, or is it all first base? But definitely see him as our first baseman.”

Rice was much more of a catcher than a first baseman in the minors after the former Noble and Greenough School star was drafted out of Dartmouth in 2021, but his .781 OPS and 33 home runs in 188 major league games suggests he could become a major presence in New York’s lineup.

He was tied for seventh in the majors in hard-hit percentage (56.1 percent) last season and tied for ninth with an average exit velocity of 93.3 miles per hour. Getting him out from behind the plate should help Rice further develop that power.

“By the time we got to the end [of the season] and you looked at it, this is a fearsome lefthanded, middle-of-the-order hitter. This is who he is,” Boone said.

Rice was the DH early last season while Giancarlo Stanton was on the injured list. First base came more into play in the second half when Paul Goldschmidt fell into a slump.

Goldschmidt, 38, is a free agent and unlikely to return to the Yankees. That opens up first base for Rice.

“We’ll see as we go into spring training what makes the most sense from getting the most out of him,” Boone said. “I think [catching] is important and an important skill that he possesses that you don’t necessarily want to just go away, because he is capable back there. Even if that turns into being the No. 2 catcher or having that flexibility of having a third catcher on the roster, there’s some real value in that, too.”

Rice has taken the attitude that he’ll play wherever the team wants him to play.

“I just want to be in the lineup,” he said near the end of last season. “I’ve been a catcher and I’m comfortable at first base. We’ll see what happens.”

The Yankees have a solid No. 1 catcher, Austin Wells. Backup J.C. Escarra had a .629 OPS in 40 games last season.

Rice made significant gains offensively last winter, adding muscle and working hard on the consistency of his swing. The Yankees are hoping that will happen again.

“He’s the type of guy that gets after it,” Boone said. “Obviously, we saw what he did physically last offseason and how we feel that really paid off for him. I saw him the other day at Yankee Stadium. I was in there and he was hitting.

“He looks really good, really physical right now. So, look, I think he’s going to be one of the really good hitters in Major League Baseball for a while. Hopefully that means even another step next year.”

SLOW GOING

Red Sox can’t find a match

The Red Sox and Rockies were the only teams not to have signed a free agent to a major league contract or to at least have an agreement in the works by Friday.

The Rockies have a good excuse, having hired Paul DePodesta as president of baseball operations Nov. 7. He has since prioritized building out his staff and dragging the organization into the 21st century.

The Sox just haven’t been able to close a deal.

It’s much different than last season when Craig Breslow had Walker Buehler, Aroldis Chapman, and Justin Wilson all signed before Jan. 1. The Sox had those players targeted and moved quickly to sign them before waiting out Alex Bregman.

The Sox have traded for Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, and three minor league pitchers, but haven’t done anything to boost the lineup.

The only thing that matters is what the roster looks like on Opening Day. But given what seem to be specific needs, it’s odd the Red Sox haven’t been more aggressive improving a team that won 89 games last season.

A few other observations on the Red Sox:

▪ You wouldn’t know it to look at his statistics, but Garrett Crochet was unlucky last season. Analysts with Sports Info Solutions determined that six of the 24 home runs Crochet allowed should have stayed in the park based on where the ball was hit and how hard it was hit.

That included two homers that just cleared the Green Monster. Opponents had a .617 OPS against Crochet. His “expected OPS” was .553.

▪ The Red Sox have little experience with the automated ball-strike challenge system that will be used in the coming season. It was used at spring training ballparks last season, but wasn’t yet installed at JetBlue Park.

Sox manager Alex Cora said he planned to get advice from Triple A Worcester manager Chad Tracy on how best to proceed. Cora joked that pitchers think everything is a strike, so he will probably leave it in the hands of the catcher.

Teams will have two challenges, with successful challenges being retained. Teams out of challenges will get one for each extra inning. Only the hitter, catcher, and pitcher can challenge.

▪ Worcester was named the best Triple A franchise by Baseball America in its first year of eligibility. The award recognizes business and gameday operations, community engagement, and long-term success.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Some wishes for gifts from MLB

Major League Baseball drew 71.4 million fans last season, a third consecutive year of growth. The league should hand out some gifts to these loyal fans as a thank you. Here’s a wish list:

▪ Autograph days. Mandate every team set aside two home games a month for at least five players to sign for kids before a game for 45 minutes.

As somebody who once stood patiently in the aisle next to the dugout at Fenway Park to get my scorebook signed by Rick Miller in 1973, that’s how you create lifetime fans of the game. It’s not too much to ask of the players, either.

▪ Turn the volume down. If teams want to blast music between innings, have at it. Walk-up songs are great, too. But does it really add to the game experience to blare sound effects and snippets of music between every pitch? Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium in particular never give the game a chance to breathe. Why is this seen as a good idea?

Baseball is a game of starts and stops. It’s OK to let people have a conversation with the person sitting next to them. Designate 10 home games a year as being less noisy. Teams might find those games are popular.

▪ Pitchers should tip their caps. What happened to this tradition? Starters used to tip their cap to cheering fans on their way to the dugout after finishing up a good outing. Now everybody stares straight ahead like they’re being led off to jail. Lighten up.

Red Sox starter Brayan Bello was the exception to the new rule when he did pause to tip his cap to the Fenway Park crowd last season.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

▪ Have a catch day. Once a year, open the ballpark for five hours to anybody who wants to have a catch.

People can buy $15 tickets (proceeds go to charity) for 45 minutes on the field and you get an official MLB ball on the way in. Play catch with a friend, take a good look around, and enjoy the sun.

ANTHOPOULOS’S ANTITHESIS

Decisiveness positions Braves for better days

The Braves have been the antithesis of the Red Sox this offseason, acting quickly and decisively to improve a team that missed the postseason for the first time in eight years.

President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has already traded for infielder Mauricio Dubón and signed both outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (two years, $23 million) and righthanded reliever Robert Suarez (three years, $45 million). He also retained three free agents: closer Raisel Iglesias (one year, $16 million), shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (one year, $20 million), and righthanded setup man Joel Payamps (one year, $2.2 million).

Anthopoulos also promoted Walt Weiss to manager a month after Brian Snitker retired and rebuilt the coaching staff.

The Braves were 76-86 last season, their first losing record since 2017. Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Spencer Schwellenbach combined for only 60 starts. If that number gets closer to 80, Atlanta will be in good shape. The Braves also view 23-year-old former first-round pick Hurston Waldrep as being ready to make a big impact after he was 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 10 games.

“I wouldn’t say there’s one thing that we’re focused on, saying, ‘This is the one thing we need to do,’ ” Anthopoulos told reporters earlier this month. “When you don’t make the playoffs and finish below .500, there are a lot of areas where you can improve.”

The Braves don’t necessarily have a designated hitter with Marcell Ozuna a free agent. Like many teams, they could rotate players through that spot.

“Truth be told, our position players, it’s pretty set,” Weiss said. “So it’s a little bit more difficult to create some fits there. Now, you can do it with some trades and you can be creative and make some things work. Alex is just relentless in his pursuit of improving the roster. So he never stops.”

Rob Reiner tossed a first pitch at Fenway Park in June 2014.Jim Davis

It’s not yet official, but Don Mattingly is expected to become bench coach of the Phillies. It makes sense. Mattingly’s son, Preston, is general manager. Mattingly also worked with manager Rob Thomson when they were both with the Yankees. Bench coach Mike Calitri, a Canton native, is expected to remain on the staff as field coordinator. What the Phillies need now is an outfielder. For the moment, the Phillies have Brandon Marsh in left field, Justin Crawford in center, and Adolis Garcia in right. They could use utility player Otto Kemp as a platoon partner for Marsh or find a fit via trade or free agency. Nick Castellanos is on the roster and due $20 million for 2026, but could be released if the team can’t find a trade partner. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the Phillies see Garcia as an everyday player and they’re committed to giving Crawford a chance as a rookie. He turns 22 in January. “We think Justin is going to be a good player. With young players, you have to give them the opportunity,” Dombrowski said … The Padres announced a staff of 18 — yes, 18 — coaches under new manager Craig Stammen. The titles include hitting coach, two assistant hitting coaches, and a hitting instructor. There are two infield coaches, two special assistants, one coaching assistant, and two base running instructors. The group includes former Red Sox Kevin Plawecki (catching coach), Nick Punto (infield coach), and Allen Craig (special assistant, major league staff and baseball operations) … Blue Jays manager John Schneider admitted he’s not over the 11-inning loss to the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. “It took a little bit of avoiding watching highlights or anything like that for a while,” he said. “I don’t think I ever will, to be honest with you. I think I’ll think about it until the day I leave this earth, you know what I mean — unless you get another opportunity to kind of squash that one. Every time I kind of go down a rabbit hole, I find myself in a new rabbit hole.” … New Rockies bench coach Jeff Pickler spent last season as associate head coach of the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League under his father, Scott. Pickler, 49, was on the major league staff of the Twins (2017-18) and Reds (2019-24) before taking a summer on the Cape. Scott Pickler has coached Y-D for 27 years and has won six championships … Jhonkensy Noel was a postseason hero for the Guardians in 2024, hitting a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off Luke Weaver in Game 3 of the Division Series against the Yankees. Noel hit .162 with a .480 OPS over 69 games last season and struck out 52 times in 148 at-bats. He was designated for assignment Wednesday, the same day Weaver agreed to a two-year $22 million deal with the Mets … The cost of starting pitching is such that Dustin May somehow landed a $12.5 million deal with the Cardinals after posting a career-worst 4.96 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over 132⅓ innings for the Dodgers and Red Sox. The Sox left the righthander off the postseason roster … Joe Foley was remembered by his family and friends last week in Canton, having made it to 100 before he passed away. Joe was a baseball, football, and track star at Commerce High in Boston and received one of his varsity letters from Ted Williams at a banquet in 1942. Joe liked to introduce himself to folks by saying, “Shake the hand that shook the hand of Ted Williams.” … The late Rob Reiner was a dedicated baseball fan who visited every major league park over the course of his life. He rooted for the Giants and Willie Mays growing up in New York, then switched his allegiances to the Dodgers. He visited Fenway Park in 2014 and threw out a first pitch … Happy birthday to Pete Charton, who is 83. The lefthander from Tennessee appeared in 25 games for the 1964 Red Sox when he was a 21-year-old rookie but never appeared in the majors again. Charton was signed out of Baylor by legendary Sox scout George Digby in 1962, then had a 3.07 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 170 innings as a 20-year-old at Single A Winston-Salem. Per the Globe at the time, an unusual rule forced the Sox to keep Charton in the majors or risk losing him on waivers. The Sox weren’t contenders and kept Charton based on his potential. He was one of only 13 pitchers used that season and went 0-2 with a 5.26 ERA in 25 games (five starts). Charton had two starts when he allowed one run over seven innings, and along the way managed to strike out Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle. He was sent to Triple A in ’65, developed shoulder issues and left baseball after the 1967 season, then completed his degree and had a long career as a college professor.

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social‬.