Red Sox Rumors: Why Boston Still Hasn’t Decided On Alex Bregman’s Position

Alex Bregman might not be ticketed for second base in Boston after all.

When news broke of the Red Sox signing the star infielder, multiple reports indicated Boston planned to move Bregman from third base to second base. Franchise star Rafael Devers would stay at third base and top prospect Kristian Campbell would focus on the outfield.

Well, not so fast. On Saturday, manager Alex Cora offered a vague answer when asked whether Bregman would play second.

“We’ll talk about that later on,” Cora told reporters. “Right now, there’s a lot of stuff going on, as far as where we’re going to be roster-wise, and we’ll make the decision when we have to make it.”

Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow sang a similar tune Sunday during Bregman’s introductory news conference. So, what’s the deal?

MassLive’s Chris Cotillo offered insight in a piece published Saturday.

“According to a source, the uncertainty is real — and mainly a byproduct of the team’s enthusiasm for top prospect Kristian Campbell and an organizational willingness, at this early stage of camp, to give him a pathway to making the Opening Day roster,” Cotillo wrote.

Cotillo also discussed how the Red Sox could handle Bregman if he isn’t the everyday second baseman.

“Under this scenario, Bregman would see action at both second and third with Devers shifting to designated hitter,” Cotillo wrote. “If healthy, incumbent DH Masataka Yoshida — who has not yet started throwing in his recovery from offseason labrum surgery — would then see some action in the outfield or be in jeopardy of losing his spot.

“Campbell’s push for the roster could put the status of Ceddanne Rafaela, the presumed starter in center, into question. Campbell is also a candidate to see action in left field in a scenario that would push Jarren Duran from left to center.”

Bregman gave a predictable answer when asked about the positional uncertainty with his new team.

“I just want to play wherever helps the team win,” Bregman said. “I’ll leave that decision to AC. I’ll just do whatever he tells me to do and try to do it every single day and work hard and be ready to win.”

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