2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell
He looked calm, cool, and collected at the Major Leagues level— but he still needs to find a way to stay on the field.
I don’t know if this was the supposed Alex Bregman influence or if this is just how Marcelo Mayer is as a player in general, but he looked ready defensively for the Major leagues as soon as he stepped on the field. Between time at third base and second base, Mayer made things as smooth as possible in the infield, a pinch point that consistently had been nagging at Red Sox defenders of seasons prior. 1 error in 39 games at third base, a total run value of 1 and a total Outs Above Average of 3, I think a lot of us would take that compared to the many miscues of the land of misfit toys the infield has been of late.
Was his bat fantastic? No, not incredibly, but it was ok enough for a rookie. An OPS+ of 85 isn’t great, with only four dingers and 10 RBIs. Still, he’s known more for being a contact hitter with decent power rather than being a sultan of swat. He’ll have the time to adjust.
What concerns me more is his inability to stay on the field. A wrist sprain suffered in Philadelphia just after the All Star break started out as a 10 Day IL stint but ended in a season-ending surgery. This is an injury he previously had in 2022—his first pro season. Mayer has also battled multiple back issues and a shoulder issue in his professional career, still never playing more than 100 games in a season. If you can’t rely on a guy who’s been a part of “The Big Three” for some time now to stay in the lineup, how long do you wait to say it’s worth the risk or do you try and capitalize on his still promising value to get another set of assets?
This game in general felt like the Marcelo Mayer show—clearly potent offense as seen below and a perfect tag on a tough throw from Carlos Narváez to catch Junior Caminero trying to swipe third base in the top of the 8th inning.
Aside from his durability, the big question is where does he play? Alex Bregman is opting out of his contract beyond the 2025 season. Does Marcelo become a third baseman for the foreseeable future? His arm strength—even in limited quantity last season—was only in the 26th percentile, which isn’t optimal for a third baseman. He is also a natural shortstop, but what does that do for Trevor Story? We’re still unsure if Story is going to opt out either—in fact, Avery wrote about whether the Red Sox should vie for Bo Bichette’s services for the infield. It leaves a lot to figure out for one of Boston’s most promising prospects.
Marcelo Mayer has one heck of an interesting short-term future, that’s for sure. Where he’ll play—both positionally and on what team—could be up for contention. He was on track at the end of the season to return to health, taking dry swings and starting baseball activities, and he should be rip raring and ready to go for 2026 Spring Training. The decisions on his future seem like one of a few potentially franchise altering moves going forward. Keep an eye on Marcelo.
