The Boston Red Sox will enter spring training without a clear closer but no shortage of intriguing options for the role. Veterans Aroldis Chapman and Liam Hendriks generally are viewed as the favorites, with youngsters Justin Slaten and Luis Guerrero also in the mix. On Tuesday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered his thoughts on the subject, saying someone must earn the job over the next two months.

“I believe in that,” Cora told reporters. “We’ll see, because health comes into play. The good thing is, we haven’t promised any of those guys a role. We haven’t told Liam or Chappy that they have the ninth, so they know that. ” … It’s going to be a more flexible bullpen, so we have to start mapping out what we’re going to be doing over the next two weeks. We have some guys who have options, and they’re going to hate it, but we’re going to have to make tough decisions. We’re going to be flexible and versatile, and it’s going to help us win games.”

Cora then floated a surprising candidate: right-hander Garrett Whitlock, who’s working his way back from Tommy John surgery. “Whit reminded me that he closed the wild-card game in 2021,” Cora said. “We’ve got guys. We have options, which is a good thing.”

Whitlock, 28, worked in both the bullpen and the rotation over the last four seasons, compiling a 3.39 ERA and 1.146 WHIP in 103 appearances, including 23 starts. He earned six saves in 2022. Last season, Whitlock posted a 1.96 ERA in four starts before undergoing surgery.