The Boston Red Sox made a massive splash on Feb. 12 when they signed free agent Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract.
Bregman immediately adds legitimacy to Boston's playoff and championship aspirations. However, he contributes to an already severe logjam in its middle infield.
What does the Bregman addition mean for the team's prospects, though? As you would assume, this is a major roadblock for certain prospects. Who does it affect the most?
Which Red Sox prospects will be affected by the Alex Bregman signing the most?
Kristian Campbell
Kristian Campbell is the most obvious answer here. The right-handed hitter spent time at third base, second base, shortstop, and the outfield in 2024. Now, he really only has a path to the majors in the outfield.
Campbell was a dominant hitter in 2024 with good defensive chops. His best position was second base (the position Bregman is expected to play). With third base occupied by Rafael Devers and shortstop Trevor Story's domain, Campbell's options are limited.
He only accumulated 85 plate appearances in Triple-A by the end of the 2024 season, so there was already a strong case that Campbell should get more time at the level before joining the big league roster. With the Red Sox no longer desperate for his services for Opening Day, it looks like Campbell will start 2025 in Triple-A (don't count him out with a massive spring training, though.)
Marcelo Mayer
Marcelo Mayer is a much different story than Campbell. He's a lefty and a shortstop, so Bregman isn't blocking him at his usual position. However, the veteran could still lead to a potential Mayer block.
With Bregman at second base, Trevor Story is not moving off shortstop. That was a possibility that had to be at least considered before the addition. That leaves Mayer without a home in the majors at the moment.
There are a few other factors at play to consider with Mayer. He has yet to appear in a Triple-A game, so this wouldn't be an immediate issue.
The other factor is Mayer himself. Injury concerns have plagued him (as well as Story), leading many to wonder which of the two (if either) would be the team's shortstop in July. Bregman gives them a little more safety in that concern.
It also opens up the possibility of Mayer playing another position. If everyone stays healthy, the team could want Mayer to get more time elsewhere to add to his versatility and get him into the lineup. We already heard rumblings that Mayer would play more positions, but signing Bregman accelerates the process of increasing his versatility.
Blaze Jordan
Blaze Jordan's had a frustrating path through Boston's farm. The right-handed hitting corner infielder has always been blocked at his two positions, thanks to Rafael Devers and Triston Casas.
However, he's improved tremendously in terms of his conditioning and his defense. The 2024 season was a down year for him, though. After struggling to start the year, he picked it up quickly and was on a long hitting streak before breaking a finger while sliding into home. It took Jordan a bit of time to pick things back up when he returned, and just when he started to rake again, he was hit in the eye with a fastball. Unsurprisingly, he was shelved again.
On the bright side, an opening began to emerge. How much longer would Devers be a third baseman? Could Jordan work his way to the majors when Devers slides to a full-time designated hitter role?
If Bregman ends up in Boston for the long run, he could be the third baseman for the foreseeable future if/when Devers becomes the DH.
Jordan is a hard worker, a good teammate, a talented baseball player, and a great person. The road to the majors has been a dark highway for him. The headlights are dimming even more, with another star clogging up the lane. Jordan could be the one affected the most by the Bregman signing, and it wouldn't be shocking if this led to the Red Sox shipping him out for some pitching.
Alex Binelas
Alex Binelas is in the same boat as Jordan in terms of being a corner infielder — his path to the Red Sox is blocked by Casas and Devers. The left-handed hitter had his best year in the organization last season. He posted highs in average (.252), OBP (.353), triples (5), and steals (14).
He now doesn't have that potential Devers transition to DH to give him hopes of a spot opening on the big league roster. Binelas already had an uphill battle with multiple options ahead of him. Bregman adds a significant one to that list. Binelas likely only has a path to first base should something happen to Casas.