Remember when David Ortiz unnecessarily called out Rafael Devers for being “one dimensional” and not being an “all-around player”? Well I can only assume he’ll laud Marcelo Mayer for potentially embracing a position change in his first MLB season unlike how he slammed Devers for being a DH only.
Obviously the irony comes in the sense that Ortiz was more known for his hitting than he was in the field. So to call out Devers was probably not the right move. I guess we have to wait to see how Big Papi reacts to Mayer being open to playing second base in the future. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see an all-around player represent the Boston Red Sox the way he intended.
That said, this latest Red Sox news won’t fly under the radar. It doesn’t make sense for Boston to continue playing around with their youth and throwing more on their plate than they should handle. They already moved Kristian Campbell around the field before sending back down to the minors, and now, Mayer could be headed to make some plays at second base.
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Boston Red Sox decision on Marcelo Mayer shows they’ve learned nothing this season
Shout out Mayer for having an optimistic mindset and being willing to change positions. When you challenge the front office they just send you on your way. Mayer said he’s willing to accept whatever role the team wants him to play, unfortunately that doesn’t mean the team is making the right decision.
The first year in the majors is a learning curve. Mayer, Campbell and Roman Anthony were the core three the organization wanted to prepare for the big stage. Preparing them means allowing them to grow, not giving them too much responsibility and being patient. With the Red Sox latest move, they’re failing.
Should Marcelo Mayer push back on a position change this early in his career?
Mayer isn't in the same position as Devers, and doesn't have that kind of power within the Red Sox organization. Heck, neither did Devers, as it turns out. But Boston ought to tread lightly in the aftermath. Especially when the front office said they weren’t going to do this to their young core.
I’m not saying the Red Sox should stick Mayer at one position and never consider moving him, but if anyone is going to move to second base, it ought to be an established veteran like Trevor Story rather than Mayer, who is still getting his feet wet at the big league level.
I get it, he was only called up with Alex Bregman out with an injury so Bregman’s return would complicate things. I doubt they send him back to the minors, though anything is possible. However, it’s counterproductive to constantly move rookies around before they’ve even gotten acclimated with MLB.
Then again, pushing back with the Boston Red Sox doesn’t really work out too much. It got Devers sent out the door, meaning nobody is safe.