FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered a frank assessment of his new-look roster after the club made its latest addition, infielder Caleb Durbin.
“It’s ironic, but I feel like we have a more complete team than last year,” said Cora, pointing to a flurry of unexpected late-season moves that have revamped the club, anchored last year by Alex Bregman but now highlighted by a core of young players.
As trade talks swirled for weeks around the Chicago Cubs’ Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner and Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes, the Red Sox pivoted once again, a common theme in their offseason, in acquiring the 25-year-old Durbin from Milwaukee in a multi-player deal that included starter Kyle Harrison and infielder David Hamilton.
Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow discussed the trade’s many trickle-down effects on the defense, offense and starting staff on a busy first day of spring training.
Second base or third base?
Durbin’s position is yet to be determined, as both Breslow and Cora were hesitant to announce whether he will slot in at second or third base. Durbin, who finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting last year, played 131 games at third base, where he posted 2 Outs Above Average, but spent most of his minor-league career (153 games) at second base.
Cora noted that whatever the team decides, he’d prefer to have his players set at their positions.
“I think consistency is very important,” Cora said. “I know the value of being versatile, but having the second baseman and shortstop play as many games as possible together is very important.”
Wherever Durbin plays, it’s likely Marcelo Mayer will man the other spot. A team source indicated a preference for Mayer at third base a little over a week before Monday’s trade, but it’s unclear whether Durbin’s play at third last season will bump Mayer to second. Both players figure to strengthen Boston’s infield defense, something that became a priority — particularly after the Red Sox bolstered their rotation with starters that pitch to contact.
Where Mayer and Durbin are stationed during spring training drills will provide an early indicator of their potential landing spots.
A focus on situational hitting
The acquisition of Durbin likely won’t add much power to the lineup. At the start of the offseason, Breslow harped on the idea of needing more home run potential. The club then failed to sign slugger Pete Alonso, then balked at reuniting with Bregman, who, while not a huge source of power, still has a career .846 OPS.
In Durbin, who turns 26 this month and is under team control through 2031, the Red Sox have a young player who excels more on contact than power. He hit 11 homers along with a .721 OPS in 131 games last season, posting a 101 OPS+. There’s likely more there as he develops, and the Red Sox are intrigued by his swing and pull-side potential, but he’s not going to be a 30-homer threat.
“We really like a lot of what Caleb brings to the table, strong defender, strong bat-to-ball skills, really versatile, right-handed hitter,” Breslow said. “I also feel like he’s a good fit for our park, just given the profile of hitting the ball in the air to the pull side. (There’s) versatility, in terms of where he can play and still feel like his best days are ahead of him given his age and control.”
The addition of Willson Contreras remains the lone offseason power upgrade, but Cora suggested the team will be focused more on situational hitting given the athletic nature of the team.
Willson Contreras hit 20 home runs and 31 doubles during the 2025 season. (Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
Jarren Duran, Trevor Story and Roman Anthony offer speed and athleticism. Durbin also fits that profile, with 18 stolen bases last season. If Wilyer Abreu can stay healthy, he could push for 25 to 30 homers alongside Contreras. Nevertheless, Cora knows the club’s strength will be more geared toward keeping the lineup moving rather than pure home run threats.
“There’s going to be a mindset and it will start here that situational hitting is very important, especially with the pitching staff that we have and hopefully with the defense that we think we’re going to have,” Cora said. “You don’t have to score seven runs all the time. … I think there’s a lot of games we can win by scoring three or four runs with the pitching that we have, and situational hitting and cashing in right away is very important.”
Infield additions could mean more rest for Trevor Story
The Red Sox suddenly have a lot of infield depth. Even in trading away David Hamilton to Milwaukee as part of the Durbin deal, the Red Sox will face plenty of decisions on who makes the cut for their bench.
In addition to Durbin and Mayer, the Red Sox also have Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, whom they signed last week, as well as Tsung-Che Cheung, whom they claimed off waivers. Romy Gonzalez, Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard and Kristian Campbell are among the existing infielder options on the 40-man roster, but the Red Sox also acquired infielders Anthony Siegler and Andruw Monasterio from Milwaukee.
Gonzalez, a key part of the bench last season, figures to have an upper hand on another bench spot this year, but Cora revealed Gonzalez has had a bit of a setback with a shoulder injury from late last season. Gonzalez told reporters the injury flared up recently during workouts and that he received a PRP injection two weeks ago.
Cora noted that Kiner-Falefa will be Trevor Story’s primary backup at shortstop and even suggested giving Story more days off this season to ensure he stays healthy. Story played in 155 games last year, his first full season since 2021.
The latest Raffy reminder
In trading Harrison, the Red Sox have just one player remaining from the Rafael Devers deal last June, which cleared more than $250 million in future payroll obligations: Single-A right-hander Jose Bello. Boston traded James Tibbs III at the deadline for Dustin May and dealt reliever Jordan Hicks last week for minor-league pitcher Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later.
“We liked the players that we got back (in the Devers deal), but at the same time, we have to always be willing to make moves that maybe are uncomfortable but give us a better chance of winning now and in the future,” Breslow said.
Breslow’s Plan “B”
In the trade with Milwaukee, the Red Sox acquired a Compensation Round B pick for the 2026 draft, which basically replaces the second-round pick the club forfeited by signing Ranger Suárez, who received a qualifying offer from Philadelphia in November. With Breslow’s emphasis on revamping the farm system via the draft the past two years, it’s no surprise he made it a priority to reclaim the lost pick.
The current rotation situation
With Harrison and Shane Drohan traded, Boston has continued to clear out back-end pitching depth. Cora said he views Connelly Early and Payton Tolle both as starters rather than as left-handed options for the bullpen, and the two are likely to headline Triple-A Worcester’s rotation.
With Garrett Crochet, Suárez, Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello taking the top four rotation spots, Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval remain in the mix to be the fifth starter. Righty Johan Oviedo also has a shot, but he has minor-league options.
Though a six-man rotation is something Breslow said the team has discussed, it likely wouldn’t be something they utilize regularly.
Breslow clearly prioritized keeping Tolle and Early while dealing a slew of other pitchers. He sent out Luis Perales, Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, Brandon Clarke, Jordan Hicks, David Sandlin, Harrison and Drohan in deals that netted pitchers Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo and Tyler Samaniego, infielders Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin, and minor leaguers Jake Bennett and Gage Ziehl.