While I do believe it's too early to give up on Marcelo Mayer (he's only played 114 across two MLB seasons, was a top prospect just a little over a year ago, and is only 23 years old), things are not looking great for his outlook with the Boston Red Sox.
Boston recently acquired Curtis Mead to be its second baseman moving forward, and even though it's still unclear what will ultimately happen with Trevor Story (the Red Sox would love to trade him, but nobody is going to take him and his contract), they do have another intriguing option in Franklin Arias, who was recently promoted to Triple-A.
Mayer has been out of action since Jun. 25 due to a forearm injury, and he still doesn't have a concrete timetable for his return. With the MLB trade deadline just a week away, he'll be an important name for Red Sox fans to monitor if they want to be buyers this season, especially if they want to bank on his potential making him a good trade piece.
The Red Sox should gauge Marcelo Mayer's trade market
The California native is a fantastic defensive shortstop, but he hasn't found his rhythm at the plate yet. In 2025, he batted .228 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, and 10 RBIs across 44 games. And through 70 games this year, he is batting .220 with a .594 OPS, three home runs, and 22 RBIs.
Maybe he just needs to stay healthy and get more opportunities at the plate, but it's also very possible that this is just who he is: a great fielder who can't hit.
Combine all that with the fact that the Red Sox seem to have their infield at least slightly figured out (Caleb Durbin, Mead, Arias in the future, and maybe Kristian Campbell will be back in the majors soon), and it could make sense for them to look into trading Mayer and finding someone who can provide more immediate value to their playoff push.
At the same time, though, a Mayer trade shouldn't be imminent. If the Red Sox can't get a real asset in return, then they would be better off just keeping him around and hoping he can figure things out. But this Boston team looks primed for October baseball, and at this point, it's only fair for them to see things through and actually try to compete for a World Series.
And if trading Mayer helps move the needle, then that's a deal the Red Sox should consider making, as long as the price is right.
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