Opening Day is weeks away and much of the Boston Red Sox's Opening Day lineup seems set. Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafela will be the outfield mix, Trevor Story will take shortstop, Willson Contreras is the first baseman and Carlos Narváez is a lock behind the plate.
Caleb Durbin will slot in at second or third base and Marcelo Mayer is making a good case for the other position, despite his roster spot not being guaranteed, according to Alex Cora. Durbin has had most of his spring training reps at third base and Mayer at second base, leading some Sox fans to think Boston may embrace that alignment on Opening Day.
But the Red Sox are still deciding which sophomore infielder will play. Recent comments from Sox first base coach José Flores suggest the position battle between the two players is ongoing.
“It’s a good headache to have for [manager Alex Cora] and for the front office. I think we cannot go wrong,” Flores said to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe (subscription required). “I think the chances of [Mayer] becoming an elite defender are legit. Same with [Durbin].”
Red Sox infield coach José Flores calls Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer's position battle 'a good headache' for Boston's management to have
One of Boston's main goals for the upcoming season is to improve its defense after leading the league with 116 errors last season. Flores praised Durbin and Mayer's defense, which could suggest an Opening Day roster spot is in Mayer's future, if he can get his bat right.
Durbin and Mayer both have experience at second and third base. The former played most of his rookie year with the Milwaukee Brewers as their third baseman with 131 games at the corner and 13 appearances in other infield slots. Mayer only played 39 games at third base, but that may not be Boston's only consideration when it comes to deciding his job.
The Red Sox see Mayer as their shortstop of the future (unless No. 2 prospect Franklin Arias makes a massive jump before Story's contract expires after the 2027 season). Boston may want to keep him on the left side of the infield to keep his shortstop defensive skills tuned up.
Durbin and Mayer are both quality defenders and it probably won't matter where each plays — their skills will help improve the Red Sox's defense regardless. The outcome of the position battle bwteen the two infielders will show whether Boston decided to prioritize Durbin's greater experience at the hot corner or Mayer's development into a big league shortstop.