As the Boston Red Sox prepare for the 2025 season, it's unknown exactly how they'll line up defensively with questions remaining at certain spots.
There's a chance that the Red Sox sign or trade for a third baseman, moving Rafael Devers off of his spot. They could also send out young slugger Triston Casas for more pitching help, opening up first base for someone new.
Even if the roster stays exactly the same for Opening Day, there are the questions of who will play second base and who will man all three outfield spots.
With that in mind, the Red Sox are considering position changes for a few players, as manager Alex Cora stated during the Fenway Fan Fest on Saturday that David Hamilton will get work in the outfield, top prospect Marcelo Mayer will see time at second base and third base while Masataka Yoshida could move back into the outfield after strictly playing designated hitter in 2024.
All three of these make a lot of sense for different reasons.
In Hamilton's case, he's not guaranteed a roster spot, but his speed (33 stolen bases in 2024) makes him an interesting depth piece for 2025. The versatility to play infield and outfield would be crucial to keeping him around.
Mayer, who is expected to start the year in Triple-A Worcester, should be up in the majors at some point this year. At this point, Mayer's main position (shortstop) is being held down by Trevor Story, so if Story's healthy (far from a guarantee), he could slide in at second base or third base to spell Devers.
Cora's insight on Yoshida seems more like the team trying to increase his value. They were so against playing him in the field last year, and while the manager will blame that on the arm injury that led to offseason surgery, it tanked his trade value even further. Now, they're trying to show teams that he could play another position outside of designated hitter, so those other teams should trade for him.
No matter the reason, it will be good for Boston to have the versatility this year because, as we saw last year, injuries can come fast and furious.
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