Sparks have died down for the Boston Red Sox infield with spring training picking up, but a decision needs to be made sooner rather than later.
Rafael Devers’ delayed 2025 debut has given Alex Bregman plenty of chances to stake his claim at third base. Bregman has had a hot start this spring in his seven starts, six of which came at third base, going 8-for-17 with eight RBI and a pair of home runs. As each day passes, Devers loses the opportunity to re-establish himself as the Sox's starting third baseman if we're to assume he's losing grip on the job based on the earlier offseason drama.
Making room for Devers in the infield or at DH won’t be easy. Casas is a young talentt they value at first base, and moving Trevor Story would be irrational. With only a few weeks left of spring training, Devers is running out of time to learn a new position. Shifting Bregman over to second would need to begin ASAP for manager Alex Cora to be confident in moving him away from where he has played most of his career.
If the Sox decide to go that route, they should trade a few pople to clear up space to make it a bit easier on manager Alex Cora.
3 players Red Sox need to trade in order to clear up Rafael Devers logjam
David Hamilton
Hamilton has never been known for hitting during his limited time in the big leagues. Although he improved to a .248/.303/.395 slash line last year after hitting abysmally in his 2023 rookie season, Hamilton is inconsistent. But what he lacks in power he makes up for in speed and defense. He swiped 33 bases last year in just under 100 games, ranking fifth in the AL among stolen base leaders.
His baserunning and fielding should make him attractive to teams looking for budget utility infielders. The Red Sox have enough talent and athleticism to part with him.
Vaughn Grissom
Grissom's dramatic change is a concern for the Sox. He had two solid years with the Braves as a contact hitter, but his hitting tanked when he arrived in Boston. Grissom went from slashing .280/.313/.347 to .190/.246/.219 in one year. Although he wasn’t healthy for most of 2024 due to two hamstring injuries, the drop-off in production is alarming. Grissom’s youth and hitting mechanics make him a great buy-low piece for teams that can give him consistent reps.
Trading Grissom is a hard decision, but Romy Gonzalez and Ceddanne Rafaela are safer bench options for the Sox. And given all the uncertainty and roster changes, the Sox need stability now more than ever.
Nick Sogard
How about the ultimate sell high candidate? Sogard is owning spring training play, hitting .360/.440/.680 across 12 games and 12 at-bats. Sogard exceeded his rookie limits last year and remains on the active roster. Could he be a good bench piece? Absolutely, but with Rafaela, Story and the other two candidates on this list, the middle infield is objectively overcrowded.
Then you look at the future for the Sox. Both Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer figure to be everyday contributors starting next year. Even if Bregman leaves in free agency, where does that put Sogard? He'd still be in a secondary role with others competing for that job as well.
Perhaps now is the time to capitalize on Sogard's trade value. He's a young switch hitter who can play the middle infield. Plenty of teams would be willing to talk about a deal before Opening Day.