Who plays third base?
The hot corner threatens to be a weak spot for the Red Sox in the postseason.
Rafael Devers was expected to have a breakout season but instead struggled through a Sophomore slump. The 21-year old hit .240 with a .731 OPS, both of which are steep drops from what he produced as a rookie last year.
Devers was also among the worst defensive third baseman in baseball with -13 defensive runs saved and a major-league leading 24 errors at the position.
Eduardo Nunez is a lukewarm alternative. His season wasn’t any better at the plate, hitting .265 with a .677 OPS. He’ll hit for a higher average than Devers but lacks the same power upside.
Nunez recovered from a slow start to post a modest .282 average and .736 OPS in the second half. His stock started to rise when he took over at third base while Devers was on the disabled list in August. However, he dealt with a hamstring injury late in the season that kept him off the field in eight of the last ten regular season games.
Nunez isn’t exactly a drastic improvement with the glove either. He’s better at third than he was at second base but still produced -4 defensive runs saved in only 45 games at the position.
Maybe the Red Sox roll with Brock Holt at third base? They value his defensive versatility but in a short series, they can afford to cement him in one spot. He’s not great defensively but he’s not a liability. When the stakes are this high you have to go with your best options.
Holt was on fire in September, hitting .354 with a 1.123 OPS over his last 48 at-bats. Four of his seven home runs this season came in the final month and he enters the postseason riding an 11-game hitting streak.
Devers needs to mash in order to earn a spot in the lineup. Even when he’s hitting, the potential of blowing a playoff game because of another error by the young third baseman is terrifying. Nunez is below average in essentially every aspect of the game.
I say, stick with Holt unless he cools off. If he stops hitting or is needed to fill in elsewhere on the field, the Red Sox should cross their fingers and put Devers in the lineup. Maybe he can run into one, shifting momentum with a mammoth home run.