The Boston Red Sox are stuck. If you’re the type of person who is content finishing third within the division and being bounced by your arch rivals in just a handful of games in back-to-back seasons, you might disagree. If you’re not an idiot, you know difficult decisions need to be made and that things need to change.
I’ve decided to task myself with analyzing which players can be part of the turnaround and which should be shown the door, all as a way to take the heat off chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. If you’re not down with that, I’ve got two words for ya: Problem or Solution?
The Red Sox undoubtedly went the cheap route by choosing not to extend themselves with Alex Bregman last offseason, which in turn forced them to get creative by shipping out Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan for three infield options: wildly inconsistent utility man Andruw Monasterio, good-for-the-clubhouse-but-not-the-lineup utility man Anthony Seigler, and Gold Glove third baseman Caleb Durbin.
It’s not quite as simple as we’re making it sound, though.
Durbin was genuinely horrific early on in 2026. And while the numbers certainly swung back in his direction, the monthly breakdown raises questions of whether he should be the full-time third baseman moving forward or just another stop-gap in the sudden revolving door at the position:
March/April: 28 G, .172/.261/.263, 1 HR, 6 2B, 16 K, 10 BB
May: 20 G, .200/.232/.308, 0 HR, 5 2B, 12 K, 1 BB
June: 25 G, .326/.359/.605, 6 HR, 6 2B, 13 K, 5 BB
July: 25G, .284/.382/.420, 3 HR, 3 2B, 11 K, 10 BB
August: 27 G, .277/.370/.356, 2 HR, 2 2B, 16 K, 14 BB
September/October: 20 G, .217/.365/.304, 1 HR, 3 2B, 11 K, 11 BB
I’ve been on rollercoasters with less peaks and valleys than that, so what is real and what still needs to be learned?
WHAT WE KNOW
Boston doesn’t really have any options if it does want to move on…
Durbin is under contract through 2031, having just wrapped up his second season while being scheduled to make extremely short money for the next few seasons — making him one of the better values on the roster considering money is still owed to the likes of Trevor Story (through 2027), Masataka Yoshida (through 2027), Kristian Campbell (through 2032).
Durbin has also produced back-to-back seasons with an OPS+ of 101 — technically making him a top-12 third basemen in Major League Baseball. Eugenio Suárez, Alec Bohm, and Yoán Moncada are the biggest names on the free agent market but didn’t come close to having the same level of two-way production (at that price) last season. Si-Hwan Roh and Teruaki Sato are international free agents, but adding them to the roster would come with the risk of getting more expensive without any proven production.
It’s probably easier to stick to what you know, you know?
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
Roh, 26, comes over with a similar power-first, high-strikeout, poor-defense approach to that of last season’s prized international free agent — Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami.
Sato, 28, is extremely interesting as he’s coming off an MVP season for the NPB’s Hanshin Tigers.
If those are the best bats available prior to the lockout, perhaps they could be added and some roster shuffling could take place. If those are risks that the organization is unwilling to take, perhaps they address other needs while kicking the can down the road.
The Red Sox are going to stick with our guy here, so the best-case scenario is that he continues to develop and finds some consistency in a season where he’s fully healthy.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO
Durbin’s pinky explodes four more times and he’s just a warm body at the plate.
CONCLUSION
I find myself genuinely excited about a fully healthy season out of Durbin.
