This position has a lot of strong options…but a lot of drama to see who lands the job
It took a long time to get the reinforcements needed at this position, but By George, this is actually now one of the strongest groups on the team. The declarative statement can be made: the Boston Red Sox have an MLB-quality starting second baseman somewhere on their roster. There is certainly no lack of talent in this group…it’s just a matter of who actually ends up landing the role, and it’s not just based on how well each of them perform! Some comments made by a certain face of the franchise after Boston’s most marquee signing in quite a few seasons throws the shape of the middle infield in some doubt.
Each of these guys could conceivably be the starter in some way, shape or form this year—so going off of our usual format of “The Starter, The Bench, etc.” feels inappropriate here. Instead, let’s just examine the options available and how it affects the rest of the infield.
Option 1: Alex Bregman
I want to get this point out of the way first so I can focus on defense the rest of the way. Alex Bregman’s bat is MADE for Fenway Park.
A .375/.490/.750/1.240 slash line looks amazing on paper. When you realize (or have read from every other outlet under the sun) that these numbers are some of the best stats for an opponent at Fenway minimum 75 plate appearances all-time, it’s another thing.
His pull swing is going to absolutely tear up the Monster. Minute Maid Park (I will never call it Daikin Park as it’s now named) was honestly a great place for Bregman to hone his craft for Boston. Granted left field in Houston is the Crawford boxes and Fenway has the Monster so he may be a double machine more than a homer machine, but even still, the similarities in ballparks are enough. Having a tall-ish wall and wonky boundaries in left/left center field with a short foul line boundary to hit moonshots down doesn’t sound too dissimilar to Fenway Park, now does it? His swing is going to be absolutely sweet to watch.
When many pundits pontificated about the signing of Alex Bregman, and when Alex Cora made some pretty forthright comments about where Bregman could play, second base seemed like the top option. Putting Bregman here defensively is a blessing and a curse.
It’s clearly a blessing in that Bregman is in this infield in the first place. He was Gold Glove third baseman last year—and rarely a liability on the field for most of his career— and defense has been one of the biggest issues of this Sox squad. Having a duo of Bregman and Trevor Story (pending him actually having a full healthy season) creates an insane vacuum up the middle.
There is absolutely a caveat here; he’s only started two games at second base in the Majors. Ever. And not since 2018. Is the translation from third base to second base a lot easier than the reverse? Maybe. It’s not the hot corner, shorter throws to first base, fewer fair/foul judgement calls, etc. I don’t have many qualms about his moving to second base. That’s not the curse.
The curse is it keeps Rafael Devers at third, and he’s one of the statistically worst fielding third baseman in the league. Don’t get me wrong, he’s one of the best hitters in baseball, bar none. But an eighth percentile Outs Above Average at one of the most important positions on the field is completely unacceptable for the Red Sox to put out there. He was in the fourth percentile last season. He was in the first percentile in 2021. It feels like no matter the amount of work Devers puts in (he’s worked with Cesae Izturis at his camp in Venezuela SPECIFICALLY ON DEFENSE in prior years), it’s not translating at the Major League in-game level. I penned a piece a year and a half ago asking when Rafael Devers becomes a full-time DH and it’s still just as apt today.
The drama of Devers’ comments post-Bregman signing are what they are and if it keeps him starting at third base to begin the season, so be it.
As far as it relates to Bregman, it just makes the middle of the infield the strongest part of the Sox’s defense by putting him at second base.
Option 2: Kristian Campbell
If 2024 wasn’t the year of Kristian Campbell, I don’t know what was.
Campbell may not be the headliner of the boy band of the three-headed monster of prospects the Red Sox have—that would be Roman Anthony. Campbell is the guitar player ready to shred an epic riff though, and break out into a solo career of his own.
His meteoric rise through the minors is no joke abd he’s proven his athleticism has been not just an asset, but applicable to all the skill it takes to play baseball. Power hitting? You got it. Contact hitting? Clutch hitting? How does having the best wRC+ in all of Minor League baseball not show you he can show up with the bat? Plus arm, plus speed, what else can I say?
I can say he’s still a project and a prospect. The pressure and speed of the Majors is an entirely different ballgame to the Minors, and Campbell has to more than prove he’s ready to step into the spotlight and not just deal with it all, but succeed. What if he ends up back in Worcester? It’s ok. Don’t panic. Every prospect needs the right time to develop, and maybe calling him up right away isn’t the best move for him. But…is he an absolutely talented all-around player who should be making an impact in Boston soon? Without a doubt.
Second base is Campbell’s most natural position, though he can play shortstop and the outfield which maybe makes him a bench candidate to start—though this writer would prefer he go to Worcester and play every day if he isn’t the starter. If Boston is where he belongs at the beginning of the season, it slides Bregman to third base and Devers to DH duties. Frankly, that’s the best of everything to me. I would have no problems with any of the gloves in the infield at all and Raffy can focus on mashing taters all he wants. We’ll see how likely this scenario is, as optimal as it feels.
Option 3: Vaughn Grissom
The enigma that Vaughn Grissom both exists and doesn’t exist in a Boston Red Sox uniform is one that’s going to be extremely tough to solve. A hyped prospect received from the Chris Sale-to-Atlanta trade, Grissom spent most of 2024 injured rather than on the field, making abrupt comebacks followed by quick returns to the IL. This year, he’s ready to compete.
Healthy entering Spring Training, he’s an interesting candidate to steal the second base slot. The preferred candidate last year, he might bring the best of both worlds to this Red Sox roster: pushing Bregman to third base and giving more time for Campbell to develop in Worcester. He certainly was on the rise as a Brave and Craig Breslow saw enough in him to bring him over in a deal which for now leans heavily in Atlanta’s favor with a Cy Young in tow.
I certainly don’t expect Grissom to go down without a fight in Spring Training, but I don’t think it’s primarily his spot to win. He’ll end up on the bench and it’s honestly a great spot for him to be to get up to Major League speed.
The Bench: David Hamilton
Ok, maybe I lied and there is one bench position available for a guy like Hamilton.
For all the smack (that was deserved) he took in the first half of 2024, he made us all eat crow for the rest of the season.
As Dan talked about at the end of last season, he slowly became what I would call a “serviceable if unspectacular” defender in 39 games at second base at 3 Outs Above Average. Where his skill set really comes in his is speed. 33 swiped bags in just 78 games, his base-running abilities might just earn him a bench spot alone. There are clearly higher priority starters at second base than Hamilton, but he enough with his legs alongside some positional versatility to land a spot on the bench.
So who ends up winning the job? I’m between Options A and C here. This is nothing against Campbell at all, I think he’s a fantastic player in his own right. But if it’s not Bregman, Grissom has the MLB experience to just sneak himself over Campbell if they’re neck and neck. Granted, merit should be given when it’s due and if Campbell shines like the top of the Prudential Center this Spring and earns it, good on him. But let’s think Opening Day. To me, Bregman will have to start at second to placate Devers until a) Raffy’s defense continues to be detrimental enough to where they have to move Breggy to third and put someone else at second or b) Campbell forces his way onto the roster which ends up with the same final result as above.
What do you think? Who wins the job?