FORT MYERS, Fla. - When the Sox travel to Japan for their opening series against the Oakland A’s, they will be permitted to travel with a 28-man squad, though only 25 players can be active for the games.

A point of concern for the Sox, though, is the timing of roster cutdowns. Ordinarily, the Sox would be making their final cuts and optioning players out on the final weekend of March. With everyone else trying to cut down, it’s almost impossible for teams to claim players who are out of options since those teams, too, are looking to subtract — and not add — players.

But because the Sox — and the A’s, for that matter — will have to cut down almost a week before, they worry about exposing players to claims by others.

-SEAN McADAM