Is there anyone more allergic to good vibes than the 2026 Boston Red Sox? Then they come home to Fenway Park and face off with the American League best New York Yankees and manage to beat Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler. The very next day? Reports come out (thanks to Sean McAdam from MassLive) that some within the organization have issues with shortstop Marcelo Mayer (subscription required).
They feel like petty issues, too. There were comments about his mental toughness and how he withdraws during slumps. You know what would help a 23-year-old with that? Veteran leadership. That feels like a roster construction problem. Don’t blame Mayer for that. The Red Sox didn’t put veterans on this roster. Willson Contreras is one of the few true veterans on this roster, but he doesn't seem like the kind of leader Alex Bregman was. He’s also only been around for a few months.
Another issue mentioned was Mayer's willingness to play through “inevitable minor physical issues.” There are two arguments against that. At the time of the report, Mayer had appeared in 70 games. That was the sixth-most on the team, behind Wilyer Abreu (78), Contreras (78), Ceddanne Rafaela (76), Jarren Duran (74), and Caleb Durbin (73).
Mayer was doing that despite never playing against lefties (even though he’s 8-for-17 against them). So, he likely could’ve had more playing time if he were given the chance. Does that really sound like someone who wasn’t available?
Comments on Marcelo Mayer are another stain on Red Sox management
Then, shortly after the report came out, Mayer was placed on the injured list. News broke that he had been dealing with an injury for a while and that it is similar to the one that Isiah Kiner-Falefa was placed on the IL for about a week prior. Does that sound like someone who was unwilling to play through minor issues? It sounds like the exact opposite.
Admittedly, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows with Mayer. He'd surely like to be hitting better. He was the fourth overall pick in 2021 and a top prospect; of course there are high expectations for him. However, he’s only 114 games into his major league career. It’s upsetting seeing some fans willing to turn on him to side with random sources in the front office just because they’re disappointed with his first 100 games.
Mayer has done everything asked of him so far. Remember a year ago when the Red Sox traded Rafael Devers? And a big part of the smear campaign against the slugger was that he refused to play first base? There were other issues, obviously, but that was a major talking point.
Mayer was a shortstop his entire minor league career. He appeared in 269 games at shortstop for a grand total of 2,254 innings. Meanwhile, he only had 10 games (84 innings) at second base and six games (48 1/3 innings) at third base.
After clearly not enough seasoning in Triple-A, the Red Sox called on Mayer in 2025 and asked him to be their third baseman. He did it with a smile and played a fantastic third base. Then he was asked to play second base. He did it with a smile and played a fantastic second base.
Mayer started 2026 as the second baseman, and they told him to focus only on that position, as Trevor Story was their shortstop. Then, Story went down with an injury, and they asked Mayer to start playing shortstop again. He did it with a smile. Not one single time did we hear Mayer complain. He always talked about wanting to help the team win and do what was best for them. When he made a critical error against the Rockies, he took accountability and said “that can’t ****ing happen” and said the game was “100% on me.”
Again, I’m not telling you to be thrilled with how Mayer has produced so far. He clearly isn’t thrilled with his own play based on his quotes. But he’s been busting his ass. He’s done what’s asked of him without complaining.
Mayer has a cool demeanor that’s been well documented by countless people, myself included. I’ve covered him for years and have interviewed him in the minor leagues multiple times, and have always pointed out how it may seem like he doesn’t care because of how relaxed he is, but how it clearly couldn’t be further from the truth.
I can see how that would trick some fans looking on from the outside. But those with an inside view would absolutely know that’s not the reality of the situation It comes off like the Red Sox are using it as a scapegoat because they aren’t happy with his play and want to find excuses, and it feels disgusting.
The Red Sox front office can’t stop making problems for itself. Let’s say everything was true. I’m in the wrong 100%. Having the comments go public was still the absolute dumbest outcome you could’ve gone for. It hurts Mayer, it hurts Roman Anthony (his best friend and the guy you just signed to a long-term contract), it hurts your public perception with other players you might want to try to sign, it just looks bad PR wise, and it destroys Mayer's trade value if you want to try to ship him off. So what does this accomplish?
It's unclear who made the comments about Mayer to media, but it is clear where all roads lead. Thanks, Bres, you stiff.
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