The Boston Red Sox didn’t expect their road trip to play the Tampa Bay Rays turn into a flashback episode. But here they are. Because Hurricane Milton had wrecked the Tropicana Field’s roof last October, the Rays are spending their season at the George Steinbrenner Field, aka the New York Yankees spring training home. And for some of the Red Sox players on the roster, playing at this place hit close to home. Quite literally!

Garrett Whitlock, Greg Weissert, Carlos Narvaez, and Rob Refsnyder—all of them donned the pinstripes once upon a time. So showing up in the game at their old spring training ground was a different experience.

Weirdly enough, each of them had one common word to describe that feeling—weird! 

Whitlock the $18.75 million Boston player, mentioned to Boston Herald, “I spent the most time here that I did at any affiliate. I texted my wife last night. I was like, ‘It brings back a lot of old memories’.” Even Weissert said, “It’s definitely weird. Being on the other side, too. I’m used to that bullpen over there…” Well, Whitlock and Weissert at one point were even teammates on the 2018 Tampa Tarpons. Now they are walking through the familiar setting, except in a different uniform.

As for Refsynder, he was the last there in Tarpon back in 2013. And he couldn’t help but notice the entire facelift the place has gotten since. And why not? The Yankees are still MLB’s most valuable franchise. Their value is at a whopping $8.2 billion. So of course the place has had a pick-me-up since Refsnyder last saw it.

However, while the Boston Red Sox players couldn’t help but reminisce about the old times, they did touch upon the torp.  It wasn’t a fan favorite space, but no one wanted a hurricane to shut it down. Whitlock, in fact, seemed worried and talked about how he was discussing the people who got left behind there. “We were talking about it in the bullpen yesterday… did they make sure those people have jobs here?” And thankfully the answer is yes! At least for the staff, as they now have a job at this new place. But as far as local businesses go, they are surely feeling the heat at the moment.

Narvaez shows that he belongs in Boston Red Sox

There is another player in Boston from the rival side, and that’s Carlos Narvaez. He is the newest addition to the Red Sox lineup. And talking about the feels on playing in the Yankee field, he summed it up better than anyone, saying, “I feel like I’m a Sox.” That’s huge, given he ditched the pinstripes only recently. However, for him, it’s not just switching jerseys; it’s also about showing that he belongs in Boston, given he has been tiptoeing in his new role now.

The Boston Red Sox had actually picked him back from the NY Yankees in a December trade as a backup catcher. A great opportunity to learn the ropes, you’d think right? Well, just 11 games into his life, life came hard for him. Connor Wong had fractured his finger, and so suddenly it was Narvaez being shoved into the spotlight. He was not learning; he was leading. Alex Cora revealed,“I told him, you have to lead the pitching staff.” And so far he has been doing well.

The Red Sox have held opponents to just four or less than that in six of Narvaez’s last eight starts. They even won four of those games. He is learning super fast, staying calm, and also managing staff in maybe one of the toughest divisions in MLB. That’s no easy task. But the team recently added Yasmani Grandal, and they have until May 1 to figure out if he is coming into the mix.

But one thing is for sure: when the Yankees meet the Red Sox in June, they will be ready! What do you think—is Boston in a good place or not right now? Let us know!