3 Boston Red Sox on thin ice if they miss the playoffs

Red Sox: Marcelo Mayer’s looming debut leaves Luis Urias on thin ice

There have been a lot of question marks around the Red Sox infield this year, especially after trading Kike Hernandez at the deadline. They acquired Luis Urias at the deadline to replace him and Christian Arroyo, who was designated for assignment a few weeks ago. But Urias hasn’t exactly been what the Red Sox thought he would be when they acquired him.

Urias has 2 more years of team control following this season, but there really doesn’t appear to be a place for him in the Red Sox infield if he continues to struggle. The corners of the infield are locked up by Rafael Devers and Triston Casas for the foreseeable future. Pablo Reyes has shown real promise this season as a 29-year-old (.313/.355/.404 slash line). The biggest piece that could be a problem for Urias is the top prospect, Marcelo Mayer.

Mayer is the best prospect in the Red Sox system and the 11th ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. If he plays to his potential and develops well in the offseason, he could be the shortstop in Boston as soon as next year. This idea puts a ton of pressure on Urias and leaves him on thin ice through the rest of the year.