'Absolutely Elite' Red Sox Infielder In Minors Will Cause Tough Roster Decision

Boston will have several middle infielders deserving of playing time on opening day

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The Boston Red Sox are facing major roster decisions in the middle infield this offseason.

Boston figures to have as many as eight middle infielders in its organization deserving of big league time entering next season. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will presumably move at least one or two of these players, with David Hamilton reportedly being the most likely asset to be traded.

Given Trevor Story’s return to health, Story will presumably start at shortstop on opening day in the spring. But who will start at second base? Boston’s manager Alex Cora will surely have Ceddanne Rafaela in the starting lineup, but positionally, Rafaela could end up anywhere, especially as Cora might need to make room for Vaughn Grissom, not to mention rising star Kristian Campbell.

Grissom is an interesting case study. The 23-year-old is immensely talented, but injuries have prevented him from making any contributions to the Red Sox thus far. Grissom hasn’t played Major League Baseball since June 1, when he strained his hamstring on his way to first.

Grissom’s health has been disappointing and has resulted in massive regret for a team that traded away Atlanta Braves Cy Young favorite Chris Sale to get him. 

At the same time, Grissom has been excelling with Triple-A Worcester Red Sox since late August, signaling a return to form which, though later than expected, could mean that he demands a starting role on opening day.

According to an informative post on X from independent Red Sox reporter @ggeiss_mlb, Grissom’s numbers over the last few weeks are "absolute elite."

Since August 25, Grissom is hitting .406 (26-64) with nine multi-hit games, four home runs, four stolen bases, and a 17 walk-to-11 strikeout ratio.

If Grissom can keep this momentum (and his health) intact through the winter, it’ll be difficult for Cora to keep him out of the lineup.

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