After a rough first year in the Boston Red Sox organization, Vaughn Grissom set out to redeem himself in year two. The middle infielder felt he rebounded well, but his chance to prove it to the Red Sox never came.
Grissom batted .270/.342/.441 over 96 games for the WooSox, which included a torrid July when he slashed .324/.351/.606. Marcelo Mayer fell injured in July, and despite Grissom's dominance at the plate, the Red Sox didn't call him up.
Grissom could've been among Boston's September call-up options, but he'll finish the 2025 season on the 60-day injured list with plantar fasciitis. He never got his chance for redemption at the big league level, and recent comments from WooSox manager Chad Tracy make it sound like such a chance may not come — at least, not in Boston.
"Despite the amount of times that other guys were called and his name wasn't," Tracy said. "... It was nice to work with him" (per Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette).
Comments from WooSox manager Chad Tracy suggest Vaughn Grissom's Red Sox tenure could be nearing its end
The Triple-A regular season ends on September 21, and Worcester's final series is a home bout with Triple-A Rochester. Its second-to-last series was in Syracuse, and Grissom didn't travel with the team due to his foot injury. He isn't in Worcester for the final series, either, according to Cassell.
His 60-day IL status and injury prevent Grissom from playing again this year, and he's more than likely gone home to recover. The 24-year-old infielder has a final minor league option on his contract, and could remain in Triple-A for Boston next season, but Tracy's comment feels quite final.
The Red Sox's logjam of middle infielders is well-established, with Grissom, Marcelo Mayer, Trevor Story, Kristian Campbell, David Hamilton, and even top prospect Mikey Romero all vying for spots in the big leagues. Some of those players could be on the trade block this offseason if the Sox hope to make a deal for elite pitching, like the Twins' Joe Ryan, a former trade deadline target.
Grissom has expressed his frustrations with the Red Sox organization for not giving him another chance in the majors, and he may be hoping for a trade himself. After he was passed over for a call-up in late July, Grissom told Katie Morrison-O'Day of MassLive that he didn't "expect much more opportunity" in Boston (subscripiton required).
A trade may be the best possible outcome for both sides — the Red Sox would clear some of their middle infield traffic and Grissom would get another chance to prove himself. Nothing is final, however, and Boston's infield plans could change if Bregman opts out of his contract and decides not to re-sign with the Sox.