Red Sox Infield
First Base: I’ve got Mitch Moreland penciled in here in what shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Red Sox re-signed the veteran first baseman this past winter and also have an option for his services in 2021 as well. They wouldn’t have gone out and brought Mitchy Two-Bags back just to be a bench player. He’ll likely get the lion’s share of the starts while mentoring Michael Chavis and Bobby Dalbec to be his successors.
Second Base: This one I’m incredibly torn on as I’m not sure where Roenicke is going to go. We have the newly signed Jose Peraza, who is beyond talented at the position and has the speed to match. But on the other hand, Michael Chavis more than proved himself at second last year, especially considering he’d never played the position before. With little competition for the spot and Dustin Pedroia likely not returning.
have zero ideas where this one goes. If I had to pick, and I do since I’m writing this, I go with Chavis.
Shortstop: Again, this is a no-brainer. You’ve got one of the best shortstops in the league today in Xander Bogaerts holding down the fort on the left side of the infield. With his nice new contract extension, Bogey will be with the Red Sox through his prime.
He’s become a big brother of sorts to the guy I’m about to talk about and is a veteran voice on this team. I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing Xander’s name in the shortstop slot of the lineup card for the foreseeable future.
Third Base: As I mentioned above, this is where the kid comes into play, Rafael Devers. Though he’s in his early 20s, he plays the game like we all did when we were kids. He wants to smash the ball to the moon, run as fast as he can, and get dirty making plays. Whether the Red Sox are getting crushed or are up by a dozen, he gives it his all.
The giant smile that seems impossible to remove from his face is beyond contagious. It’s hard not to love watching Devers play, especially as he enters the best years of his career, and is coming off of a monster year in 2019.