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Why Red Sox are fine if Kristian Campbell struggles in winter ball — and what they hope to see
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- Why Red Sox are fine if Kristian Campbell struggles in winter ball — and what they hope to see
Kristian Campbell showed some encouraging signs at the plate in Puerto Rico on Tuesday night, going 2-for-5 with a triple. Even with that performance, the 23-year-old is hitting just .214 with three extra-base hits and a single RBI in eight games.
That line, while not eye-popping, doesn't matter in the eyes of Red Sox decision-makers who believe playing for the Criollos de Caguas in Alex Cora's hometown will be an invaluable experience for Campbell, whose eventful 2025 season ended with a 3-½ month stay at Triple-A. Since the end of the season, Campbell has put on muscle while also lowering his hands in his swing in an effort to shorten his swing. The Red Sox are hopeful some of the feedback he gets in game action will give him confidence ahead of spring training. T hey expect Campbell to play 15-20 games in total before returning stateside to finish his offseason work, potentially in Fort Myers .
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"His work ethic and commitment would never be questioned," chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said at last week's winter meetings in Orlando. "Having watched some of the at-bats and seen pictures, he looks big, strong and physical. He has made some adjustments to his swing to try to quiet things down a little bit. I think most importantly, he feels really comfortable.
"It's a good opportunity for him to pressure-test some of the changes he made to his swing and to see what it looked like and felt like in live game action," Breslow added. "I think this will be a great experience for him, being in Puerto Rico, potentially facing some adversity in a new environment."
Cora is unofficially involved with his hometown team, but Red Sox bench coach Ramón Vázquez is Caguas' manager and therefore has a front row seat for Campbell's winter. Campbell hasn't played the field yet but the club expects him to get reps in left field, which is Boston 's preferred position for him moving forward. It's less likely he sees any time in the infield this winter.
"We're going to take care of him down there," Cora said. "I told him, I said, 'Hey, man, you live five minutes from my house, but I'm not here to babysit you.' I've got my boys (sons). But I know Ramón is going to do a good job with him."
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Last season, the Red Sox made Campbell their Opening Day second baseman and played him at both left field and center field during his 67-game big league stint after debuting. He began to learn first base on the fly in the majors but didn't appear in a game, then logged 262 ⅔ innings at that position in Triple-A action down the stretch. He also played seven games in right field late in the year, adding a fifth position.
Though Campbell's versatility was a calling card during his rapid ascent up prospect ranking lists, the Red Sox feel like they might have asked too much of him last season and that moving around led to offensive struggles. Breslow has strongly hinted that the Sox view Campbell as an outfielder — and left field is an obvious spot . Club decision-makers feel Campbell can slow things down in that spot and let his athleticism take over. Getting him reps there in the big leagues is easier said than done, however, with the Red Sox already facing an outfield logjam with Wilyer Abreu , Roman Anthony , Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela all on the roster.
Cora mentioned that the club still has confidence Campbell can play second base, a position that remains open halfway through the offseason. But the Red Sox acknowledge Campbell's future is likely on the grass.
"I think there is ultimately some versatility that he can provide, though we've also talked about trying to narrow that a little bit and just giving him some stability and consistency day-to-day so he didn't have to take on the uncertainty of where he'd be playing defensively alongside trying to acclimate to big league pitching," Breslow said.
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One of Campbell's first orders of business in Puerto Rico was having dinner with Cora, who hadn't had much face time with C ampbell since he was demoted to Triple-A on June 19 . The conversation was a productive one.
"He's in a great place," Cora said. "He opened up about the season, which it was really, really good, from my standpoint -- the ups and downs, the expectations, the contract, Triple-A, the big leagues, the adjustments."
In a small sample size, Campbell has shown encouraging signs when it comes to plate discipline, walking six times while registering just five strikeouts in Puerto Rico. Pull-side extra-base hits are another good sign. With only a few games left in his stint in Caguas, the Red Sox are going to keep looking for promising signs to build upon once camp opens in mid-February. Campbell's Baseball Reference page doesn't need to be pretty.
"Offensively, you can see the adjustments already, although, it's different competition," Cora said. "I know that. It's tough. A lot of smart catchers down there, and they expose you.
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"I would love for him to hit .400, but if he struggles, it really doesn't matter. It's a matter of executing the adjustments he made the last month-and-a-half and we'll see."
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