Alex Bregman’s departure not solely opened up a gap which the entrance workplace thought it had solved in 2025, but it surely deepened the thriller of what now we have in Marcelo Mayer. Mayer will proceed to be an unknown amount till he spends extra time within the majors and proves he can keep on the sector for a full season. Not solely is he younger and untested, however he can play second and third base in addition to shortstop. What place he’ll roughly settle into in 2026 has been one of many extra enigmatic questions of the offseason.
One piece of circumstantial proof—and that’s generally all we’ve obtained within the offseason, till the method fully unfolds—is that Mayer has said: “Second base, you’re doing every part backwards.” To some, this will likely sound like a level of discomfort, but it surely additionally conjures up the grace and confidence of a Ginger Rogers, doing every part Fred Astaire did—however backwards (and in heels). For somebody working to transition from one aspect of the infield to the opposite, I’ve little question that’s what it would really feel like.
A current submit on Bluesky from Alex Speier might do extra to light up the entrance workplace’s considering.
If that is to be believed (and I’ve been taken in a number of occasions through the years), this may counsel that Eugenio Suárez won’t find yourself on the dust for the Sox. Our personal Mike Carlucci stated so in our Slack chat, and others have famous this on the socials too. (At the same time as Suárez is taken into account a superb general match for the crew.)
This defense-forward considering must also have implications for second base. It may moderately be stated that being “very conscious of protection” ought to preclude an in-house platoon at second of Romy González, Nick Sogard, or David Hamilton. With the doable exception of Sogard, who can be younger with out quite a lot of time within the majors, we all know these gamers, they usually’re not the reply. Romy may be profitable coming off the bench. Hamilton is likely to be greatest as a pinch runner.
Whereas the rumors are going this fashion and that, it seems like second base continues to be open. So who’s it gonna be?
