The Boston Red Sox have just a handful of days until the opening day, but their infield picture looks as murky as it can get. The team already had a battle at second base with three players: Vaugh Grisson, Kristian Campbell, and David Hamilton in the mix. But like a torpedo, Alex Bregman entered the equation, and now everything is left with a bigger question mark – all the more so with Rafael Devers’s refusal to leave 3B.
Devers was clear; that’s his home, and he doesn’t want to budge. And the team sought to give him a chance. But really, given Bregman didn’t even start at second, it only makes sense that he will start at third itself. This means Devers needs to move to second or DH, and the latter seems more possible. So what of second base?
Two names remain, given Campbell is not in the picture to play. And right now Hamilton seems to be more in favor of handling second. But the question is, what about the 24-year-old Vaughn Grissom? That’s what insiders Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam are questioning.
At the Fenway Rundown podcast, insiders mentioned that if Hamilton is starting at second base, it’s by default. Because earlier Campbell was supposed to, and he can’t; hence, he will just fill in that role for him right now. Chris Cotillo in his podcast questioned, “And then there is the Vaughn Grissom situation. Are they ready to give up on him? Because if you are turning this over to Hamilton and you are keeping Gonzalez as the guy who plays short and also first, remember they don’t have anybody else.” And it’s a legitimate question. Why so?
Because the two players are more or less in the same boat, Grissom truly was given every chance to cement himself as a starter. However, his performance has been underwhelming, and he wasn’t able to handle the job. Hamilton, meanwhile, wasn’t even a top contender, but now he simply might get the job by default. Plus, it’s crucial to note that Alex Cora has been talking a hefty lot about Hamilton. Now whether that is because he wants to start a hype trail and trade him off or not is for us to judge.
But Grissom too isn’t too far cast off in the ‘favorites’ department. Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald noted, “So far, Vaughn Grissom has been given the starter treatment… but he hasn’t done much in his limited plate appearances—he’s 1 for 10 through four games.” But the real deal is while last year he was taken as a long-term solution, right now it seems like he might be pushed out of the Boston Red Sox roster completely.
Boston Red Sox rotation takes another hit
No matter what hype and excitement the free agency brings, nothing is guaranteed. And for the Boston Red Sox, it seems like it’s starting with injuries. And some of their key arms might be down when the new season kicks off. That’s bad news. And for the good news: they might not remain there for too long.
This is reassuring for the Boston Red Sox because the bullpen is marred with injured, stricken players this spring. Kutter Crawford has been dealing with a bad knee issue. And it is more than likely that he won’t be able to make it in time for the opening day. Plus, given that there aren’t really any regular updates about him makes things even more dodgy. But on the bright side, Brayan Bello’s situation is less concerning; Bello had been stuck with shoulder inflammation, and he finally returned to the mound for a bullpen session.
So that makes one positive step in the right direction. His opening day status, though, is still up in the air, but MLB.com’s Ian Browne thinks he can make it. “If Brayan Bello doesn’t start the season on the active roster, a real possibility, it sounds like Richard Fitts or today’s starter, Quinn Priester, will open in the five-hole. Guessing Bello would miss two starts at the most if there are no setbacks,” Browne said. Given that the Boston Red Sox signed him for six years and a $55 million deal, they see him as a future key piece. They better hope he makes it bang on time.
What do you think the Boston opening lineup would be like? Strong or a jumbled mess? Let us know your thoughts.
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