Even under the best of circumstances, spring training can feel repetitive. Often, the same drills and the same fundamental exercises can very quickly feel monotonous. For the Red Sox, that’s doubly true when it comes to work designed to result in better defensive play in the infield.

As currently constructed, do you think this is a playoff team?” “I do,” answered Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow during his first media availability of spring training. His manager offered a more temperate assessment.