What should the Sox do about infield depth?

2024 Red Sox in Review: Vaughn Grissom - Over the Monster
Vaughn Grissom has a lot to prove this spring. Maddie Meyer, Getty Images

With the signing of Alex Bregman, the key positional battle (second base) has likely been solved. This leaves the Red Sox with an infield likely to consist of Bregman, Rafael Devers, Trevor Story and Triston Casas. That's a strong infield, but there are a lot of durability questions still. This leaves infield depth as one of the most important areas the Red Sox should look to figure out.

For this position, I see these 5 players as the only 5 to have a reasonable shot at making the opening day roster: Romy Gonzalez, Nick Sogard, David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom, and Kristian Campbell.

With Cora and the front office expressing a desire to use Hamilton in the outfield, I consider him the most probable candidate to make the team as a utility and speed guy. Hamilton ranked in the 99th percentile in terms of sprint speed, and contributed 6 Baserunning Runs and 4 Basestealing Runs, both ranking above the 90th percentile. He also provided 3 OAA at 2nd, with Devers injury history, I wouldn't be surprised if he'll make some spot starts at 2nd when Bregman has to shift over to 3rd to cover Raffy. I'd say he's a lock to make the roster as a a pinch-runner, while making spot starts at 2nd, Shortstop, and in the outfield. 

I think Romy Gonzalez also has a leg up to earn a roster spot, being the only one in the group to have any time at first base. We don't know how healthy Casas is going to be this year, so Romy's positional versatilely (he logged 79+ innings at each position in the infield) could very well be his leg up to earning a spot. 

I do think Cora takes one more infielder this year, and I think that guy is going to be Vaughn Grissom. In his late September stint, Grissom looked like a much more comfortable hitter at the plate, finishing the year with a pair of 3 hit games in the final week and a half. Barring an injury or a downright awful spring, this is Grissom's spot to lose. Remember, we gave up a Cy Young winner for him, the front office is going to want to give him every chance to prove that trade wasn't a complete disaster. 

Prediction: Hamilton, Gonzalez, Grissom make the opening day roster, Campbell starts the year in AAA (don't be surprised if we see him at Fenway by June), Sogard either starts in AAA or is DFAed. 



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