Story by
Some Things I Think I Think: In early going, Red Sox infield defense showing signs of improvement
- Story by
- Some Things I Think I Think: In early going, Red Sox infield defense showing signs of improvement
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Ever since the Red Sox failed to retain free agent Alex Bregman , the buzzwords that have dirven the team have been “run prevention.” You may know those better as pitching and defense.
The outfield defense was already supreme, with two Gold Glovers ( Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela ) forming a strong foundation.
Advertisement
But it’s the infield that’s been a more obvious trouble spot. The Red Sox led all of baseball in errors last year, chiefly because of sloppy play in the infield. So with spring training more than half over and Opening Day less than three weeks away and two new additions to the infield, how do they stand?
“Much better, especially with (Marcelo) Mayer out there,” said one longtime scout who’s seen the Red Sox often this spring. “(Willson) Contreras is going to have to stay focused and engaged, but he’s a definite improvement (at first base) over the past.”
The scout’s chief concern in the infield is shortstop Trevor Story , who graded out poorly last year in several defensive metrics, largely due a poor September that saw him make six errors in the span of a week.
“You never want a hole at short,” said the scout, “but it’s not great there.” Still, Story has made several athletic plays in the field this month, perhaps evidence that his new pre-pitch set-up is helping him with improved range.
Advertisement
Finally, the scout favors having Caleb Durbin at third and Mayer at second. The Red Sox haven’t made that alignment official, but it’s expected they soon will. Mayer turned in several highlight plays at second in the last week, expertly using his glove to flip the ball for outs. Meanwhile, Durbin play well above-average defense at third in Milwaukee last year.
It’s not wise to read too much into spring training results. But at least there’s reason for optimism as the Red Sox strive for improvement.
∗ I’ll admit to being more than a little skeptical about Jayson Tatum coming back at any point this season, never mind returning with more than a month left in the regular season. His return was a triumph of will and spirit and he deserved every bit of the adoration he received Friday night at TD Garden. And don’t think that the Knicks and Pistons weren’t taking note.
∗ In moving on from Stefon Diggs, the Patriots were slaves to the NFL calendar and couldn’t control the timing. But passing on Diggs when they did - i.e. before they could add a replacement - put the onus on them to find a veteran receiver at least as good as Diggs. Which means either trading for A.J. Brown or signing Alec Pierce.
Advertisement
No pressure.
∗ Can’t blame the Bruins for (largely) standing pat at the trade deadline, though defenseman Connor Murphy, shipped from Chicago to Edmonton, would have been an affordable piece to help on the penalty kill. The fact remains the Bruins are a bubble team and if they don’t figure out how to play better on the road - 12 of their final 20 games are away from home, including five sets of back-to-backs - it won’t matter much anyway.
∗ International competition - the Olympics, the WBC and the upcoming World Cup this summer - is all the rage these days but don’t hold your breath when it comes to Major League Baseball taking part in the 2028 Olympics in LA. I find it hard to believe that owners could see their way toward shutting down for two weeks to accommodate the Games, to say nothing of the myriad insurance issues. Better they should focus on having a full 2027 season rather than making plans to interrupt the 2028 schedule.
∗ Speaking of Diggs: He’s a Top 3 one-and-done Patriot, players who stayed for just one reason in Foxboro. Other candidates: cornerback Darrelle Revis, nose tackle Ted Washington and workout Brandon Cooks.
Advertisement
∗ We should be careful labeling every outfielder 6-foot-5 or taller as the next coming of Aaron Judge . That said, Red Sox outfield prospect Justin Gonzales is one intriguing physical specimen.
∗ For all the focus on power - or lack thereof - on the Red Sox roster, not enough attention has been paid to the bullpen. The Sox have a lockdown closer ( Aroldis Chapman ), an elite eighth-inning weapon ( Garrett Whitlock ) and a promising if injury-prone high-ceiling option for the seventh ( Justin Slaten ). After that, there’s a lot of maybes.
∗ Van Morrison, 80 years young, still brings it on stage, with a voice that’s undiminished. Just don’t expect him to sing your favorite song of his. Last week, in the first of two shows at the Boch Center/Wang Theatre, Morrison powered through a set of mostly blues covers before closing with two signature songs: “Into the Mystic,” and ‘Gloria.’
∗ The NHL trade deadline, usually packed with action, was pretty much a dud this year. But just to keep up with tradition, Corey Perry got dealt, which now means the Tampa Bay Lightning, his new team, will los in the Stanley Cup Final. Perry has appeared in five of the last six finals and lost them all.
Advertisement
∗ If you’re looking for a fast-pace, fun night at the movies, you could do worse than Crime 101 , which boasts a stellar cast if a somewhat predictable plot line.
More Red Sox coverage
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
