Red Sox Roundtable: Five questions about the Opening Day roster

Has Brock Holt become expendable?

Brandon: Holt is a great clubhouse guy, but his shine as a player has worn since he dealt with vertigo. Eduardo Nunez, Blake Swihart, Deven Marrero, Tzu-Wei Lin and Marco Hernandez are all options that should be considered over Holt for various reasons. Holt has a Minor League option available, but I’m not sure how well he would take a demotion at this point in his career. I think Nunez, Marrero and Swihart are the best options for this team moving forward, but I’m unsure if it’s realistic given Swihart’s situation.

Rick: Holt may never really recover 100% from vertigo that is probably related to a concussion or more than one.  Seems a lot like what Corey Koskie went through and retired. With Lin and eventually Hernandez the Red Sox have some strength in that area.

Jake: Yes, Holt has to prove that his awful 2017 was a fluke. However, right now it seems like his hot streaks were just that and not indicative of a very valuable player long term. There’s too many utility options with Nunez, Hernandez, Swihart, Marrero and Lin for Holt’s job to be considered safe.

Josh: I’m not sure Holt has any value left. His bat was atrocious last season, and his defense has never been anything special. Nunez is a much better super-utility option once Pedroia is healthy. Holt could be gone at that point.

Hunter: I still think there’s a place for Holt on this Red Sox team. The vertigo clearly played a role in his numbers last season, but it’s still not easy to shake off that ugly slash line. Boston now has so many utility guys that a super-utility isn’t as necessary. Marrero and Hernandez both cover multiple positions in the infield. Then there’s Lin, who can play both infield and outfield. Even Swihart is a dark-horse utility guy if they’re serious about learning first and second base, with the added bonus of catching. Holt can definitely still be a key member of the Red Sox, but he might be fighting too many other players off to survive.

Bryson: Unfortunately, he has. Now the situation becomes very different if we get the Holt of a few years ago, but that does not seem likely. Marrero has a better glove than Holt and is also cheaper. Nunez, while more expensive, provides a much better bat than Holt does at the moment. Nunez can also play the outfield like Holt can and even did it in San Francisco. Trading Holt would be the best thing to do right now, mainly because that could give the Red Sox the chance at a trade deadline deal for a cheap reliever that won’t break the bank. His salary is not huge, but it does keep the Red Sox right around the line of the harshest luxury tax penalties.

Stephen: Holt’s value comes with his versatility. With the acquisition of Nunez and the performance of Swihart, the need for his versatility is lower than normal. That being said, he still has minor league options, so getting rid of him would be pointless. A Major League season will test the depth of any team, and the need for Holt may suddenly emerge. To me, a player is only expendable when their team is better off without them. Holt won’t be on the Opening Day roster, but I still don’t consider him expendable.