Red Sox options to bolster middle infield continue to fall in their lap

The Boston Red Sox entered the 2024 campaign with two clear-cut starters in their middle infield. Trevor Story was going to start at shortstop, while Vaughn Grissom was the favorite to play second base after Boston acquired him in the Chris Sale trade.

Fast forward to mid-June, and neither of those players has been much of a factor this season. Story lasted just eight games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, and Grissom has played in just 23 games, spending substantial time on the IL. Even when healthy, Grissom had just 12 hits in 81 at-bats (.148 average) with one extra-base hit.

Much of the middle infield duties have been up to David Hamilton, a player who began the season in the minors, and Ceddanne Rafaela, a player who was an outfielder to begin the season and has been playing shortstop with the injuries.

With that in mind, the middle infield is an area of need for this Red Sox team. Fortunately, they were gifted a pair of options in recent days for them to consider.

Opportunity to land pair of veteran middle infielders just fell into the Red Sox lap

All things considered, this makeshift Red Sox middle infield has performed admirably. Hamilton has hit righties well and has stolen 23 bases in 25 tries. Rafaela is just seven RBI shy of the team lead held by All-Star Rafael Devers despite mostly batting ninth. Despite these performances, there's room for improvement.

Hamilton, while he has hit righties well, has just a .406 OPS in limited at-bats against lefties. Guys like Romy Gonzalez and Jamie Westbrook have served as platoon partners but they don't offer much. While Rafaela has been good defensively in the outfield, he has been dreadful at shortstop, posting -9 OAA according to Baseball Savant. Depth is needed, and these two veterans can help.

Whit Merrifield, a three-time All-Star, is on waivers after his role as a bench player in Philadelphia went poorly. Merrifield is not close to the star he once was, but he was a productive role player for the Blue Jays just last season. He can, at the very least, be an upgrade over the likes of Gonzalez and Westbrook while providing a ton of versatility.

Another option for the Red Sox to consider is Nick Ahmed, a player who won't produce much at all offensively but is an elite defender. He has a pair of Gold Gloves and ranks in the 91st percentile in OAA according to Baseball Savant this season. He was released by the Giants after not hitting much, but he could provide defensive value for Boston.

Ideally, the Red Sox will make a big trade to address the middle infield, but adding at least one of these two veterans can give them short-term depth at the bare minimum. It certainly wouldn't be worse than the situation they already find themselves in.