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Marcelo Mayer ‘checking all the boxes,’ so why aren’t Red Sox promising roster spot?
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- Marcelo Mayer ‘checking all the boxes,’ so why aren’t Red Sox promising roster spot?
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox break camp in exactly one week, but that won’t stop Alex Cora from making Marcelo Mayer sweat things out a bit.
With Opening Day just nine days away, Cora has still not guaranteed that Mayer, the heavy favorite to be the team’s primary second baseman, will begin the season with the big league club. Nearly a month after Cora publicly challenged Mayer by noting that it’s not a given he makes the team , he has softened his stance a little bit — but not guaranteed anything.
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“He’s playing really well. Obviously, we have to make a decision. We haven’t made that decision. But so far, he’s been checking all the boxes,” Cora said Tuesday.
When the Red Sox acquired Caleb Durbin as camp opened on February 9, it was assumed either he or Mayer would be the primary third baseman, with the other playing second. Cora has strongly hinted that Durbin will be at third base next Thursday in Cincinnati but has been far less committal when it comes to Mayer, instead repeatedly noting that the 23-year-old’s spot is not guaranteed. Mayer, to his credit, has taken the challenge and responded on the field, playing strong defense at second while hitting .250 with a homer, two triples, 11 RBIs and almost as many walks (6) as he has strikeouts (7) through nine Grapefruit League games.
“I feel good,” said Mayer. “I feel like I’ve done a good job, the way I’ve been approaching the game and the way I’ve been taking my ABs, the approach I’ve had. I feel like I’m in a really good spot to start the season strong.
“Those decisions aren’t really up to me,” he added. “I feel like I’ve done a really good job with what I’ve needed to this spring... I just go out there and play as hard as I can. Wherever the chips fall, they fall. I’m excited for the season.. Hopefully, that’s in Cincinnati . If not, I think I’ll help the team down the road whenever it is.”
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Working in Mayer’s favor is a lack of other high-upside options at second base. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will make the team as a super-utility type but doesn’t offer enough at the plate to threaten Mayer’s role. Andruw Monasterio and Nick Sogard are both competing for utility at-bats but are more likely to platoon with Mayer and start against lefties (in place of Romy Gonzalez ) than see the lion’s share of plate appearances. Since the beginning of camp, the job has been Mayer’s to lose, even if it’s still not fully won.
“Of course, as a player, you want to be there (on Opening Day),” Mayer conceded. “I’ve never experienced one. I definitely want to experience that. There’s like 10 more days left in spring, so I’m sure there will be a decision made soon.”
Because he replaced an injured Alex Bregman when he debuted in May, Mayer saw the bulk of his innings at third base last season, only playing second base in eight games (seven starts) before suffering a season-ending wrist injury in mid-July. A natural shortstop, Mayer hasn’t spent a ton of time at the keystone in his career but has gotten the large majority of his work there this spring with veteran Trevor Story as his double-play partner. A player who has faced an uncertain positional future in recent years is happy to have found a home, at least for now.
“First time in a while, or since I’ve gotten to the big leagues, that I get to focus on one position,” Mayer said. “It’s been nice just taking reps at one spot for the most part and dialing in the angles.
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“Obviously, it’s nice to get reps at one position because I feel like you can only be so good when you’re bouncing around all the time. I’m excited to just stay at one spot until I’m told otherwise.”
One downside of the continued reps at second is unfamiliar wear and tear for Mayer, who was scratched from the lineup Sunday due to left knee soreness . He believes that issue, which had completely dissipated by Tuesday’s game, was caused by being on the other side of the diamond than he’s used to.
“Moving my body to the right is not something I’ve done in my career,” Mayer said. “Doing that a lot of times at a fast pace, I think just gave me some soreness there, but it feels really good.”
As long as he’s healthy, Mayer should be with the Red Sox at Great American Ball Park next week — even if he might not play the first two games with lefties Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo scheduled to pitch for Cincinnati. For now, his manager is still promising nothing, even if the writing has been boldly painted on the wall for weeks.
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“We have a good relationship,” Mayer said of Cora. “My job is to just go out and play as hard as I can. They have different jobs to do, having to handle a whole clubhouse. I’ve just got to go out there and be a really good teammate and try to do the job to the best of my ability.”
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