The missteps of the offseason continue to loom: a failure to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman following Rafael Devers’ departure, and a trade for Caleb Durbin that hasn’t paid dividends. Durbin was intended to be the present-and-future at the hot corner, but the move hasn’t yielded the desired results through the early going.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter has labeled third base as the Red Sox’s clear need heading into trade season, highlighting the logic of the Durbin plan even as it has faltered. “An offseason deal to acquire Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers seemed to give the Red Sox their third baseman of the present and future following Alex Bregman’s departure in free agency,” Reuter wrote.
Durbin’s struggles have been stark: he’s hitting .141/.236/.203 over 72 plate appearances, with batted-ball metrics that rank among the least favorable for any qualified hitter. “However, the 26-year-old is off to an ugly start at the plate, … providing little optimism for a quick turnaround,” Reuter noted.
With internal options not delivering, Boston could look to move Marcelo Mayer to third and recall Kristian Campbell to handle second, but Campbell is off to a lackluster start at Triple-A, which leaves the door open for an outside addition this summer.
The impact on the lineup has been clear: Red Sox third basemen are hitting .153/.247/.208 with no home runs, six RBIs, and just four extra-base hits in 81 plate appearances. While Bregman isn’t exactly thriving with the Cubs, his presence at third would still be a power boost, and the offense as a whole has struggled, having scored just 89 runs—the third-worst mark in the American League.
Boston does have a strong farm system, which could support a midseason move for a power-hitting third baseman. If the team hopes to stay competitive, acting before the trade deadline to address the position would be prudent, aiming to replace the power lost with Bregman’s departure.
