After days of hypothesis, the Red Sox activated Pablo Reyes from the 10-day injured checklist on Monday morning, and optioned pitchers Justin Garza and Brandon Walter to Triple-A Worcester.
The Red Sox waited so long as they may earlier than making a call about Reyes, whose rehab task expired on Sunday evening. He’s out of choices, so maintaining him within the minors wasn’t on the desk.
But the predicament through which the Red Sox discover themselves is way greater than Reyes alone, and activating him is just a stopgap. They’re now carrying 4 center infielders (Reyes, Christian Arroyo, Yu Chang, and Kiké Hernández) with solely three center infield roster spots.
Justin Turner has additionally been enjoying some second base of late, as Alex Cora needs his offensive manufacturing as typically as potential. Inadvertently, that call has highlighted how far more profitable the Red Sox may be when utilizing sure gamers.
They must pare down this space of the roster virtually instantly, as John Schreiber is slated to make his personal return from the IL on Tuesday. Walter is the corresponding transfer for Reyes, and Garza got here up when Brayan Bello went on the Paternity List, so Schreiber should take another person’s place.
With so many components at play, there’s no clear frontrunner for the chopping block, although sturdy protection will seemingly give Chang and Reyes some benefit over Arroyo and Hernández.
Chang has solely appeared in 28 video games this season, however he’s the perfect defender of the group by far, price plus-2 Outs Above Average (OAA) and plus-2 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) at shortstop. Since coming back from the IL on July 7, he’s collected 4 extra-base hits in 11 video games. Over the weekend, he collected successful and no less than one RBI in every of the three video games in opposition to the New York Mets, together with a double and residential run. He leads the quartet with an total .395 slugging proportion (albeit a a lot smaller pattern measurement), and in simply 28 complete video games, he’s homered greater than Arroyo, and is just one homer behind Hernández.
The Red Sox acquired Reyes from the Oakland A’s on May 12, and he’s been stable from either side of the plate. Over 27 video games, he’s hitting .303 with a .702 OPS, 20 hits (together with 4 doubles), 4 walks, and 10 strikeouts. He ranks within the 73rd MLB percentile in dash pace; he and Chang are tied for the fifth-best Sprint Speed (28.1 ft/sec) on the roster.
During his 4 years in Boston, there have been stretches when Arroyo was the their hottest hitter. Unfortunately, chilly streaks and accidents make these offensive bursts too few and much between. In 58 video games this season, he’s hitting .247 with a .659 OPS, three house runs, and 21 RBI.
Of the 4, Hernández is the one one who hasn’t missed time with an harm this yr. He additionally brings broader defensive versatility to the desk. Unfortunately, his greatest glove work throughout his Red Sox tenure isn’t within the center infield, and centerfield, the place he shined in 2021, is firmly within the succesful fingers of Jarren Duran and Adam Duvall. Relegated virtually fully to shortstop and second base this yr, Hernández is price minus-6 DRS at quick and 0 DRS at second, and minus-13 OAA. He leads the majors with 15 errors (14 at shortstop), which strongly correlates with the Red Sox topping the rankings with 68.
The utility-man’s hitting can also be removed from the electrical days of 2021, his first season in Boston. Entering Tuesday, he’s hitting .222 with a .599 OPS, and solely 66 hits and 22 walks in 86 video games. His final additional base hit was a double on June 18, his final house run got here on June 9.
However, it’s price noting that Hernández hasn’t precisely been put able to succeed. With Xander Bogaerts gone and Trevor Story sidelined after UCL surgical procedure in January, Hernández ended up shoehorned into the center infield. The Red Sox prolonged him final fall considering he’d be their major centerfielder, however he’s spent nearly zero time on the place the place he’s been at his greatest all through his time in Boston. A commerce to a group with centerfield wants may very well be a welcome reset button for him, and due to this fact, helpful for all concerned. According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, the Los Angeles Dodgers “would consider a reunion.”
None of the aforementioned center infielders have any remaining minor league choices. Chang, Arroyo, and Hernández have every accrued greater than three years of service time, and will, due to this fact, refuse an outright task to the minors in favor of free company. However, Hernández is the one one with greater than 5 years of service time, and would due to this fact not must forfeit the remaining assured cash on his 1-year, $10 million contract.
The lack of choices provides an fascinating wrinkle to bringing again Reyes in any respect; with little greater than a yr of service time, if the Red Sox designate him for task and he clears waivers, he’s the one one unable to refuse task to the minor leagues.
If Story’s rehab task proceeds on its present schedule, a second center infield choice will likely be within the group’s not-so-distant future. He’ll be Boston’s on a regular basis shortstop, so one of many spots will, undoubtedly, go to him as quickly as he’s prepared.
Change is usually uncomfortable, however too many major-league center infielders to select from, and a farm system overflowing with promising infield expertise? That’s the definition of a superb downside for a group to have.
Source: www.bostonherald.com