The 2025-26 offseason is young, the Boston Red Sox still have plenty of additions to make, and they've already had to do quite a bit of roster shuffling just to accommodate the three Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects they hoped to protect.
Boston traded three relievers from the big league roster and designated two players for assignment on November 18 to free up some space on their roster for top pitching prospects. If the Red Sox hope to reunite with Alex Bregman, sign Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber or another slugger, and trade for a No. 2 starter, they'll have even more tough choices to make to open 40-man roster spots for them.
Boston has a few primary middle infielders it uses in a utility-type role, and Chris Cotillo of MassLive — and many fans — find it hard to believe all of them will be on the roster come Opening Day. He named Nick Sogard, Nate Eaton, Vaughn Grissom and David Hamilton among the potential roster casualties, but Hamilton sticks out the most.
Hamilton, 28, has been in the Red Sox organization since 2021 when the Milwaukee Brewers sent him over as part of Boston's return in the Hunter Renfroe trade. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and he's slashed .222/.283/.359 with a .642 OPS in 204 games over three seasons since then.
Red Sox insider (and fans) think 2025 could be David Hamilton's last season in Boston
Hamilton has spent the majority of his games in a Red Sox uniform at second base, which has been something of a revolving door since Dustin Pedroia's retirement. His defense started out incredibly rocky and he's noticeably improved since he logged 10 errors in 98 games between second base and shortstop in 2024, but he hasn't been able to deliver reliable defense and produce at the plate at the same time.
The infielder batted .198/.257/.333 with four doubles, a triple, six homers and 22 stolen bases over 91 games in 2025. Hamilton played just seven more games in 2024, but he stole 33 bags, showing a regression in even his best skills. Despite his offensive struggles and the Red Sox's streakiness at the plate as a club, Hamilton continued getting the call-up to the major league squad when an infield injury opened a roster spot, despite Grissom or even Marcelo Mayer being a better fit.
After their many links to Bregman and Alonso, it's safe to say at least one of the Red Sox's major additions this offseason will come to the infield. It's hard to gauge Hamilton's trade value given his age and skillset, but some clubs may see his 95th-percentile speed as enough to justify trading for him. His age and inconsistent offense could be detractors, however.
Hamilton has just one minor league option left, and once Boston uses it, his value on the trade market (and to the Sox) could disappear. The Yankees reportedly expressed interest in trading for him last season, so there could be hope that the Red Sox will be able to get a return for him. Even if they can't, they shouldn't hesitate to move on from him to accommodate the veteran slugging talent they need.