The Boston Red Sox made a disappointing move when they optioned top prospect Marcelo Mayer to the minors. The 22-year-old is one of the top prospects in baseball and had an impressive Spring Training, hitting .333/.455/.528 with a home run and 11 RBI in 20 games during Grapefruit League play. He also looked major league ready, driving in eight RBI during a two-game series against Sultanes de Monterrey including a five-RBI performance on Monday night.
All of this makes Mayer’s major league debut a question of when not if. While he won’t start the season with the Red Sox, he could be making a key change that could help accelerate that debut in the opening months of the season.
Marcelo Mayer to Play Multiple Positions at Red Sox Triple-A Affiliate
According to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, the Red Sox are planning for Mayer to play multiple positions to open the season at Triple-A Pawtuckett. While Mayer will play his natural position of shortstop, he’ll also spend time at second base and third base, where he already impressed Red Sox infield instructor Jose Flores this spring.
“He’s played really well throughout the whole spring – at short, at second, at third,” Flores said. “He makes it look easy. When you make things on the defensive end look easy, it tells you how confident you are with your hands and how confident you are with your hand-eye coordination and how you move yourself to put yourself in a good position to make plays. So no doubt he’ll be able to succeed (at different positions).”
Smith went on to note that Mayer is believed to be major league ready at all three infield positions, but he has started just two games outside of shortstop during his professional career. Either way, versatility could be an important development in his game as the Red Sox infield continues to be a fluid situation ahead of Opening Day.
Kristian Campbell won the Opening Day job at second base, but his grip on the spot feels loose. The fourth-ranked prospect according to Baseball America entering the year, Campbell hit just .167/.305/.271 with a home run and two RBI during Spring Training and has questions about his defense.
Mayer could also make his way to the majors in case of an injury. Trevor Story will start at shortstop for the Red Sox on Opening Day, but he hasn’t played 100 games in a full season since signing with Boston in 2022. An injury to Alex Bregman or Rafael Devers could also open up a spot but it would be more likely the move would be made if Bregman were injured to allow Mayer to play in the field.
Either way, Mayer could benefit from some time in Triple-A. He hit .307/.370/.480 with eight home runs, 38 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts at Double-A Portland last season. But he hasn’t played an inning above that level, making the demotion to the minors another step in his development. If he can show he’s capable of playing multiple positions while making an adjustment, his major league debut will come sooner than some expect.