One of the most pressing on-field issues for the Boston Red Sox to sort out during spring training is the infield alignment.
The arrival of Caleb Durbin meant either he would play third base and Marcelo Mayer would play second, or vice versa. Durbin played 134 games at the position last year and got better as the year went along, but Mayer's defense there was excellent as well in a smaller sample of 39 games.
Mayer knows his primary need this season is to prove he can stay healthy. But he takes a lot of pride in his defense as well, and from that perspective, it makes sense that he would want to know an answer as soon as possible.
“Obviously, moving around the infield isn’t the most comfortable thing, and I think it’s underappreciated when a player can do it,” Mayer said Wednesday, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “But being able to take reps at second or third base, wherever it is I’m going to play, for a full spring training, is going to help a lot, and I’m super excited for that.”
Early in spring training, Durbin has taken all the full-team reps at third base, with Mayer at second. But per Healey, the two will swap spots on Thursday.
Wherever he's playing, it's likely Mayer will also be part of a platoon early in the season to be protected against left-handed pitchers. But manager Alex Cora hinted Wednesday that there's a chance he could earn more time.
“We’ll get there when we get there. I think there’s always a progression,” Cora said, per Healey. “Hopefully he can take the baton and run and win the position — whatever position it is — and then we’ll decide how many at-bats he gets.”
Mayer is going to be one of the key X-factors to the Red Sox's season -- both in terms of availability and production. We'll continue to monitor the situation regarding his defensive position while it's up in the air.