With Alex Bregman’s departure over the offseason, Marcelo Mayer nearly instantly assumed the place of Boston’s third baseman of the long run and the current. However after buying and selling for Caleb Durbin — who performed 131 video games at third base for the Brewers final 12 months — final week, the Pink Sox have change into a bit jammed within the infield.
Granted, this can be a a lot better drawback to have than absolutely the black gap that existed at second base final 12 months, but it surely’s nonetheless one thing that must be addressed — and must be addressed rapidly because the crew appears to be like to make up for Bregman’s All-Star degree 2025 manufacturing by means of an amalgamation of items slightly than a transparent alternative.
Mayer’s rookie marketing campaign final season consisted of fewer than 150 plate appearances and left one thing to be desired, particularly with Roman Anthony’s meteoric rise because the closest level of comparability. Particularly, his persistence on the plate must enhance in 2026, and hopefully it is going to after an prolonged offseason following his wrist surgical procedure towards the tip of August. However on the defensive finish, he proved to be practically all the things he was marketed to be, which is basically saying one thing when you have got Trevor Story and Bregman closest to you within the discipline.
Though he got here up as a shortstop, Mayer has been projected to have the arm energy of a 3rd baseman, and confirmed above-average vary throughout his time at third base within the majors final 12 months. This, together with the truth that Story has taken on a a lot larger function for this crew over the previous 12 months and Mayer didn’t begin a single recreation at shortstop, reveals Boston’s confidence in his means to shift defensively to accommodate the roster’s present make-up.
On the opposite aspect of the coin, latest Pink Sox Caleb Durbin superior by means of the minor leagues as a way more versatile piece, splitting time between third, shortstop, and second whereas spending 18 video games within the outfield in Scranton Wilkes-Barre in 2024 (for what cause, I have no idea). However as soon as he made his main league debut with the Brewers final 12 months, he spent 13 video games — and solely began three — away from the new nook. It was clear, a minimum of in Milwaukee, that he was a chosen third baseman, so how does that change together with his transfer to Boston?
Whereas Mayer and Durbin possess equally graded “plus” arms, their defensive utility diverges sharply while you have a look at the bottom they cowl.
Final season, Mayer posted 3 OAA, albeit in a restricted pattern measurement, in comparison with Durbin’s 0 throughout a full season of motion. This demonstrates the type of lateral skills that Mayer possesses that Durbin hasn’t proven but, which general makes him a greater candidate to fill the opening at second than Durbin or different miscellaneous elements, because the Pink Sox have seemingly forgotten concerning the Kristian Campbell Second Base Expertise early within the spring.
Alex Cora has stated he’s able to work out this positional drawback each within the spring and past, however he had the identical project final 12 months, and I can’t say he precisely aced it. A big a part of this shortfall is certainly associated to the dearth of offensive manufacturing from the candidates at second base, however there’s not precisely an enormous diploma of distinction in that in relation to this 12 months’s selections, although Durbin has a minimum of proven some relative consistency throughout his time within the majors.
The issue nonetheless stays that neither Durbin nor Mayer makes up for the offensive prowess that Boston ought to have added this offseason, and each must step up their offensive manufacturing this 12 months (particularly Mayer), however with the crew’s make-up proper now, it seems apparent that they are going to each be mainstays within the infield.
