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4 Red Sox on Thin Ice After Disastrous Series Against Orioles

After a horrific three-game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles, changes feel like they're on the way in order to prevent the 2024 Red Sox from spiraling out of control.

By Jacob Phillips

Apr 10, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Isaiah Campbell (44) throws a pitch
Apr 10, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Isaiah Campbell (44) throws a pitch / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Enmanuel Valdez (2B)

Apr 6, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Boston Red Sox second base Enmanuel Valdez (47) attempts to throw to first
Apr 6, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Boston Red Sox second base Enmanuel Valdez (47) attempts to throw to first / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

What's that? Another young, defensively shoddy infielder not doing enough at the plate to make up for his defense?

That's right. Unlike Hamilton, though, Valdez has real expectations of success at the plate. He was Boston's 13th-ranked prospect in 2022, and scouts have described him as a "versatile, well-rounded lefty stick." On top of that, he registered a .764 OPS across 149 plate appearances in 2023, production that gave Red Sox fans and management alike visions of a potential breakout in 2024.

Instead, Valdez's 2024 has been the opposite of a breakout. It's only been 12 games, but the 25-year old owns a paltry .108 batting average to pair with a .336 OPS. He did manage to wallop a three-run home run in a win over Seattle, but he's been completely dormant since, managing just two hits across his last eight games, including a six-game hitless streak. To boot, his much-maligned defense hasn't seen much in the way of improvement, as he's already recorded -1 Outs Above Average, per Statcast.

Despite being one of the worst everyday players in baseball thus far, I'd give Valdez a slightly longer leash than someone like Hamilton. His talent hasn't just disappeared - he's proven he can hit at the Major League level, and underlying numbers show he's been getting a bit unlucky at the plate. With that being said, there's only so long you can keep a .336 OPS in the lineup every day, especially one with a middling defensive profile. If he hasn't started to turn it around by the end of April, it's hard to see him sticking on the roster.

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