Should the Red Sox play Alex Bregman at second base or should they keep him at third and move Rafael Devers to designated hitter? That’s the multi-million dollar question facing the Red Sox this spring, one they’ve so far avoided answering through the first half of camp.
Up to this point Bregman has played exclusively at third base. The new Red Sox infielder has yet to play an inning at second, but all indications suggest the club has tried to give as many reps as possible to the other young contenders before Devers is ready for game action.
But with Devers expected to make his Grapefruit League debut this week, decision time may be fast approaching for the Red Sox.
Alex Cora has said that once they’ve identified a role for Bregman they won’t have him bounce back and forth, so how he lines up once Devers is back on the field will be telling. But the question isn’t really just where should Bregman and Devers play? It’s also whether the Red Sox have anyone else they need in the lineup who can play second base?
That, more than anything else, is the question the Red Sox have been trying to figure out over the past few weeks.
Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton and Kristian Campbell have gotten the vast majority of the available playing time at second, and the expectation has been that if any could separate themselves they might earn the job for themselves and potentially help keep Bregman at third.
So three weeks into camp, where does that competition stand?
Vaughn Grissom: 5 for 22 (.227), 2 extra-base hits; 8 games, 7 starts at 2B (2 home, 5 away)
David Hamilton: 6 for 24 (.250), 2 extra-base hits; 10 games, 5 starts at 2B, 4 starts at SS (4 home, 5 away)
Kristian Campbell: 3 for 25 (.120), 0 extra-base hits; 10 games, 2 starts at 2B, 4 starts at LF (0 home, 6 away)
One thing that stands out immediately is Campbell will not be Boston’s starting second baseman on Opening Day. The top Red Sox prospect hasn’t performed particularly well, and he’s clearly behind both Grissom and Hamilton on the depth chart. How can we be sure? He’s primarily starting on the road when most of the club’s other regulars aren’t traveling, and lately he’s gotten most of his playing time in left field.
If Campbell were trending towards winning the second base job, he’d be the one starting Boston’s home games and building a rapport with Trevor Story.
That likely leaves things between Grissom and Hamilton. Of those two Hamilton has performed better, and the fact that he started Boston’s last two home games when Story and Bregman were both in the lineup was notable. But Grissom has also gotten the nod over Hamilton at second on several occasions, and he’s logged more innings at second than anyone this spring.
So has either shown they deserve a starting spot?
Candidly, I’d argue no.
Ultimately the Red Sox need to piece together the best starting nine and the best 26-man roster possible, and beyond the Devers-Bregman and second base questions, the club also needs to factor in Masataka Yoshida and the outfield as well. If Hamilton or Grissom starts at second — let’s go with Hamilton for now — then Yoshida will either have to come off the bench or start in left field, which would in turn likely bump Rafaela to the bench.
Here are what those lineups might look like.
Status quo: Duran LF, Bregman 2B, Devers 3B, Casas 1B, Story SS, Yoshida DH, Abreu RF, Wong C, Rafaela CF
Yoshida to bench: Duran LF, Bregman 3B, Devers DH, Casas 1B, Story SS, Abreu RF, Wong C, Hamilton 2B, Rafaela CF
Yoshida to OF: Duran CF, Bregman 3B, Devers DH, Casas 1B, Story SS, Yoshida LF, Abreu RF, Wong C, Hamilton 2B
I would argue both lineups with Yoshida in them are deeper and more formidable than the one without him, and if you go with Hamilton at second and Yoshida in left, you’re essentially getting much better infield defense in exchange for a substantial downgrade in outfield defense.
Is that a tradeoff worth making, especially if it means moving your highest-paid player off his longtime position? That’s essentially the call Cora is going to have to make, and if Devers is indeed ready to get back on the field, that decision could be imminent.
Three up
As we approach the midway point in camp, several contenders for spots on the Opening Day roster have made strong impressions, while others haven’t gotten things going. Here are a few who have seen their stock rise in recent weeks.
Luis Guerrero, RHP: Guerrero was spectacular in his September call-up last season, and so far this spring he’s shown that cameo wasn’t a fluke. As of this writing Guerrero has made five appearances, four of them scoreless, and allowed two runs over 4.1 innings with eight strikeouts and five walks. More importantly, he’s consistently hitting 97-98 mph on the radar gun, bringing the kind of high-octane velo the Red Sox bullpen has lacked in recent years. He should be among the favorites to earn a spot in the bullpen.
Trevor Story, SS: Think Story is ready to put the past few years of injury setbacks behind him? The Red Sox shortstop has been on another level since camp began, going 10 for 21 (.476) with two homers, three doubles and six runs scored through his first seven games. Story was especially dominant on Friday when he hit home runs in each of his first two at bats to lead Boston’s 20-5 rout over Miami. Whether he can stay healthy is always a concern, but so far Story looks like he could be primed for a huge year.
Trayce Thompson, OF: Thompson faces long odds of making the Opening Day roster, but he’s certainly doing everything he possibly can to earn a spot. The veteran outfielder has been on an absolute tear since signing this spring on a minor league deal, leading the club in home runs (5) and extra-base hits (7) while batting .364 with two stolen bases. He delivered his biggest hit yet on Saturday, smashing a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the eighth to cap off an eight-run Red Sox rally.
Three down
How about those who haven’t lived up to expectations so far? For our purposes, let’s cut Campbell some slack since we covered his struggles already up above.
Liam Hendriks, RHP: Hendriks came into camp as one of the favorites to earn the Red Sox closer job, but so far the results haven’t been what the right-hander likely would have preferred. Hendriks has allowed four earned runs on eight hits through his first three innings of work, including a home run. On the plus side, Hendriks hasn’t allowed any walks and his velocity is reportedly back up into the mid-90s, which is encouraging given that the right-hander has barely pitched in two seasons.
Josh Winckowski, RHP: Winckowski has enjoyed success at the big league level before, but this year he faces stiff competition for a spot and so far hasn’t distinguished himself. The right-hander has allowed 10 earned runs through five innings in his first four appearances, allowing 11 hits, five walks and two home runs in the process. Saturday in particular was a low point, with Winckowski allowing four runs without recording an out.
Wilyer Abreu, OF: Abreu still hasn’t made his Grapefruit League debut after battling a viral gastrointestinal illness that sidelined him for more than two weeks. The Gold Glove winner has expressed optimism he’ll be ready for Opening Day, but if he doesn’t get back on the field soon it’s reasonable to wonder if he’ll need to start the season on the IL so he can make up for lost time.
Ex-Phillips stars headline Spring Breakout
This week Major League Baseball will hold its second annual Spring Breakout prospect showcase, and several locals are expected to participate.
Former Phillips Andover teammates Thomas White and Jonathan Santucci will both take the field with their respective professional teams, with White headlining the Miami Marlins roster and Santucci taking part with the New York Mets.
White, a left-hander from Rowley, is the No. 1 prospect in the Marlins system and ranks as the No. 41 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. Santucci, a lefty originally from Leominster, is New York’s No. 13 prospect and was drafted in the second round (No. 46 overall) by the Mets last summer.
Another local set to participate is Cam Schlittler, a right-hander from Walpole who is on the New York Yankees’ team. Schlittler formerly starred at Northeastern University and ranks as the Yankees’ No. 12 prospect.
One local who will not be taking part in the Spring Breakout showcase is Matt Shaw, the former Worcester Academy great who ranks as the Chicago Cubs’ No. 1 prospect. Shaw has a good excuse though, he’s competing for the Cubs’ starting third base job.
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