The competition in one of the Boston Red Sox's most crowded spring training position battles got tighter on March 19 when the team optioned Vaughn Grissom to minor league camp.
The former Brave stood among Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, Nick Sogard, David Hamilton, Romy González and more in competition for the starting second base job on Boston's Opening Day roster. Unfortunately for Grissom, he was the first cut.
The young infielder entered camp as some reporters' favorite for the starting job. He played fine defense there for the Sox when he wasn't on the mend from hamstring and groin strains. His bat was the biggest issue in the majors and in Triple-A — he slashed .190/.246/.219 over 31 games with the Red Sox and .259/.385/.373 in 55 games with the WooSox.
Grissom also struggled offensively this spring training, with six hits and six strikeouts to his name over 13 appearances. It seems Boston didn't think his camp would go this way, though.
Alex Cora urges Vaughn Grissom to play his way into a trade from the Red Sox organization
Over the winter, Red Sox manager Alex Cora praised Grissom for the work he put in to make the big league squad in 2025. He packed on muscle and added more weight than the Sox asked for, but he still didn't stack up against their other middle infield options. Still, Cora doesn't want the 24-year-old to get discouraged, and he gave him some solid, but strange, advice.
"But it was like, ‘just go down there and do your thing.’ As a player, especially where we’re at [as an organization] right now, ‘just go down there and kill it. Be selfish. Do your thing, show everybody that you can be a big leaguer, and not only with us, right? I think in the industry. Show them that you're still young, you're still a good athlete,’ " Cora said, reported by Ian Browne of MLB.com on Twitter.
Interesting quote by Alex Cora on Vaughn Grissom.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 20, 2025
“He did everything possible in the offseason. He killed it. We asked him to show up at 220, he showed up at 221. He turned the double play well. There’s a few things that we talked about that I think he can do better defensively.…
The Red Sox's second base position battle is tough, and still uncertain with just days to go before Opening Day. Grissom was up against top prospects and players who spent more time in the majors than he did last season.
Cora may see the writing on the wall for Grissom's future in Boston. This spring was his chance to assert himself as a necessary presence on the roster with Campbell and Mayer racing to the major leagues right behind him, gunning for the same positions.
But Grissom is still athletic and could still be of value to another MLB club without such a severe logjam in the middle infield. Essentially, Cora told him to play his best in the minor leagues to catch the eye of other clubs that may want to trade for him. His path to a consistent role in the majors is pretty thoroughly blocked in Boston.