As spring training comes a close the Boston Red Sox have seemingly answered numerous questions lingering over the roster’s construction.
A trio of pitching additions have given the team options on the mound and revamped the rotation into perhaps the most dynamic in baseball heading into the regular season. Willson Contreras will shore up the hole at first base and give the team flexibility once Triston Casas is healthy again, but the early-February acquisition of Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers is among the front office’s most interesting swaps.
The six-player exchange sent David Hamilton, Shane Drohan, and notably, Kyle Harrison to the Brewers, helping to more fully turn the page on the oddity that was the Rafael Devers salary dump. Jose Bello, a 20-year old righty in Single-A is the lone survivor of the deal in the Red Sox’s organization.
Durbin looks to be a centerpiece of the Red Sox’s infield alignment moving forward, and his presence on the roster is among the highlights that has ESPN reporters raving about the team’s underrated offseason of change.
Durbin has some added pressure on his shoulders heading into the regular season though, given the immense performance of his primary counterpart in the trade that brought him to Boston. FanSided’s MLB insider, Robert Murray, recently named Kyle Harrison as his top breakout candidate for 2026.
The Red Sox need Caleb Durbin to live up to the hype after Kyle Harrison's improvements
Last season, Harrison appeared in just three September games for Boston, pitching nine total innings as a starter (with one additional three-inning relief appearance). He gave up 14 hits and walked five batters. His numbers aren’t impressive in spring training, but Murray notes that he’s hearing lots of talk about how Harrison looks different. Similar to the breakout of Quinn Priester after arriving in Milwaukee, Harrison appears well-poised for a resurgent 2026.
Thankfully for Boston, Durbin has produced a seriously high caliber spring training result. While he hasn’t gone yard in a Red Sox uniform yet, his slash line was a highly impressive .356/.453/.511 with nine RBI, 15 hits, and 3 stolen bases. These gaudy numbers have come from just 45 at-bats over 17 games, but the advanced contact promised by his past performance and the quality of his duels with opposing pitchers look to carry over into regular season play to great effect.
He’s also been a solid defender, winning the third base job seemingly from the jump even as the Red Sox brass initially signaled a preference for Marcelo Mayer to handle duties at the hot corner.
In much the same way Vaughn Grissom and Alex Verdugo’s respective tenures in the organization were weighed down by the fabulous performances of players traded in their stead, Durbin may feel a similar tug. Yet, Durbin is playing great baseball so far, and all signs point to a young talent ready to prosper in an infield that’s long been a defensive liability. There’s certainly some added baggage given his arrival as a trade piece partially linked to Boston’s previous third baseman, but Durbin may be poised to sparkle anyway.