FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A new layer of intrigue was added to Spring Training for the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon when Marcelo Mayer -- the undisputed shortstop of the future -- got the start at second base.
With Trevor Story healthy again, there is no immediate path for Mayer at his natural position.
Until the last couple of days, Mayer had been used exclusively at shortstop and third base. Mayer, ranked as Boston’s No. 3 prospect and No. 12 overall by MLB Pipeline, said nearly all of his drill work was in those two spots also.
Prior to Tuesday’s game in Tampa against the Yankees, Mayer was informed he’d be backing up at second base. Mayer wound up playing four innings, handling his only chance. He handled his first chance in Wednesday’s start against the Tigers smoothly and hit an RBI triple in his first at-bat.
It is a crash course, yet one that Mayer is embracing.
“I think I'm always ready for anything, especially as a guy who's not established in the league at a position,” Mayer said. “You’ve got to be able to adapt and do whatever it takes.”
The reason Mayer’s switch to the right side of the diamond the past couple of days is interesting is because manager Alex Cora hasn’t named his starting second baseman yet.
“I mean, all that stuff's not really up to me. It's not really my job [to think about that],” Mayer said. “That's for the front office to decide. All I can do is go out there and play as hard as try to perform the best I possibly can.”
Considering Mayer hasn’t had an at-bat at Triple-A yet, it seems unlikely he would be the team’s second baseman on Opening Day. But it was, at the very least, noteworthy that Cora didn’t rule it out.
“Like I said, everybody has a shot,” Cora said.
Regardless of what position Mayer has been at, Cora has been impressed with the 22-year-old in his first Major League Spring Training. Mayer is batting .355 (11-for-31) with three extra-base hits, 10 RBIs and a 1.025 OPS in 16 Grapefruit League games.
The No. 4 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft has been stalled by season-ending injuries the past two seasons, but it hasn’t been evident in Mayer’s play or practice the last few weeks. Last year, it was a lumbar strain that prevented him from making his Triple-A debut, though he was promoted to the team’s top affiliate in Worcester before being placed on the injured list.
“I'm aware that that wasn't ideal, but I like where I'm at right now. I feel like I didn't really miss out on much. I feel good,” Mayer said.
“Controlling the strike zone, he's done a good job with that,” Cora said. “I think he does a pretty good job letting it eat when he has to, but he's done a good job laying off pitches. Baserunning-wise, he’s been outstanding. The plays yesterday [were impressive]. Two dirt-ball reads. Got to second, got to third, he’s done it four times already in Spring Training. The baseball player is real. He’s not just a prospect. He's a baseball player.”
By having the athleticism and versatility to play three positions, Mayer is potentially speeding up his arrival to Boston.
“I think the biggest thing with playing multiple positions is you get more at-bats [in Spring Training],” Mayer said. “So for me, it's just about getting at-bats right now, getting ready for the season. At-bats in the big leagues if I’m in the big leagues. Or if it’s in Triple-A, it’s with Triple-A. Right now, I’m just focused on getting ready for the year.”
Considering how graceful Mayer is on defense, switching positions -- and sides of the infield -- wouldn’t be as jarring an adjustment for him as it would be for others.
“Everything's backwards compared to short and third base, which is what I’m used to, which is what I've played my whole life,” Mayer said. “But I'm athletic, I think I could figure it out pretty quickly.”
Having a player with Mayer’s upside in all facets of the game is a comforting thing for the decision-makers in the organization.
“He cares about defense and he loves it, and defense comes easy for him,” Cora said. “So wherever you put him -- second, short, third -- we're comfortable with it. He's a good defender.”
While Andrew Benintendi was the last significant Red Sox prospect who went straight from Double-A to the Majors in 2016, Mayer believes he would have no problem doing it if asked.
“Yeah, I think so,” Mayer said. “It’s obviously not up to me, but I feel ready. I feel like I'm in a good spot mentally and physically. I'm swinging it well. We’ll see what happens.”