Despite the quantitiy of infielders the Boston Red Sox expect to have on their roster and in their minor league system in 2026, their infield alignment is still far from certain. Alex Bregman and Trevor Story have not yet made their opt-out decisions official, but Boston hopes to have them both back to make another run in October.
Assuming Story and Bregman both return, half of the Sox's infield will be set. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow refused to commit the starting first base job to Triston Casas, and second base is totally up in the air — Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and maybe even Romy Gonzalez, who absolutely earned more playing time after he slashed .305/.343/.483 over 96 games in 2025, could be in the mix.
Red Sox insider Sean McAdam of MassLive has proposed that Story should also enter the second base conversation. It could be time to usher Mayer into his future position at shortstop.
"Assuming Trevor Story decides to opt-in, I wonder if the Red Sox are tossing around the idea of moving him to second and having Marcelo Mayer as their shortstop," McAdam wrote in his Oct. 26 column (subscription required). "Story’s metrics weren’t good this past year and a move to the other side of the infield might cover up some range issues as well as declining arm strength."
Red Sox insider thinks Boston could move Trevor Story to second base and Marcelo Mayer to shortstop for 2026
Story's range decreased significantly in 2025, although some regression was to be expected after his years of injuries that led to him playing just 163 games in his first three seasons with the Red Sox. Story logged 9 outs above average, third percentile range among shortstops, and he led the team with 19 errors, 10 more than the second place holders (Bregman and Carlos Narváez).
The Red Sox got a brief look at Mayer's defensive prowess this season when he stepped in to play for Bregman at third base while tended to a quad injury. He only posted 44 games, but the rookie looked smooth and light on his feet, even at a position he had little professional experience playing.
Mayer logged three outs above average and posted above league average range, but below the upper quartile. His arm strength leaves something to be desired as it ranks in the 26th percentile, but he'll likely be better making throws from shortstop and not third base.
Mayer could potentially be a trade candidate this offseason to net Boston elite pitching, but if the Sox manage to hold onto him, it's time to move him into his natural position. Story's defense has regressed enough that moving him to second base is not a loss, and if Mayer is to be the Red Sox's shortstop of the future, it's best to get him started there as soon as possible.