With Bogaerts leaving for the World Baseball Classic, some new players are going to be called upon in order to fill his spot. Two of the position-player prospects on the 40-man roster are Marco Hernandez and Deven Marrero.
Marco Hernandez is a very intriguing player. He is someone who could play all infield positions expect for first base, and could be an emergency corner outfielder. While he is someone with the ability to play multiple positions, the Red Sox already have Brock Holt. Even so, Dave Dombrowski could value the versatility of someone like Hernandez.
Hernandez has had a very productive spring, hitting .389 with a double and a triple. And while the spring is a small sample size, Hernandez has the 5th most at-bats for the Red Sox. Hernandez has hit mostly singles in his time in the Grapefruit League, but that is expected. Marco has never been known for his power. If Hernandez can keep the singles and occasional extra-base hits coming, he should find his way to Boston at some point this year.
If you think that Marco Hernandez is having a good spring, Marrero is having an even better one. Marrero will probably never be a starter for Boston, as Bogaerts and Pedroia both factor into the present and future. Still, seeing the production that he has had this spring, it is a giant step in the right direction.
Marrero is hitting .429 with 3 doubles. Also, only Hanley Ramirez has more at-bats on the team than Marrero. While Marrero is essentially a shoe-in to start the season in Pawtucket, he does have an outside shot to make the team if an injury was to occur. And even if those scenarios don’t happen, he could be increasing his value to another organization.