Depth Chart Review: The Boston Red Sox's Corner Infield In 2026

[Nick John]

The Boston Red Sox, as currently constructed, need corner infield help badly. Of the players currently on the 40-man roster, three were expected to provide important roles throughout 2025, but due to injuries only one made it through the entire season, that being Romy González. He played in a career-high 96 games at first base, second base and a brief appearance at third base.

Triston Casas and Marcelo Mayer were not as fortunate, as they played 29 and 44 games (87 if we include the 43 games at Worcester), respectively. While the potential is there for both young players, based on the past few years, there is a debate over whether they can stay healthy through an entire 162-game season. When they are healthy, they have shown proof of being starter-caliber players.

With that, we’re going to take a look at the current state of the Red Sox's corner infield depth, going over those on the 40-man roster and those who could contribute next year in the event of an injury.

Boston Red Sox

1B Starter: Romy González (96 games, .305/.343/.483 .826 OPS, 23 2Bs, 3 3Bs, 9 HRs, 53 RBIs)

González is being placed here as the starting first baseman due to the fact we don’t know if Casas will even be ready for the start of the 2026 season. That’s no knock against González; he is just better suited as a super-utility player since he can play all over the infield and is relatively still new to first base (he’s played a total of 78 games there, all coming since joining the Red Sox in 2024). There’s also the possibility of González being the starter at second base, contingent on how the rest of the offseason unravels. Either way, he needs to be in the lineup each time a left-hander starts for the opposing team due to his .331/.378/.600 slash line against them. Should the Red Sox bring in a true first baseman, González will be able to properly serve his utility role for manager Alex Cora and get at-bats from various positions.

3B Starter: Marcelo Mayer (44 games, .228/.272/.402 .674 OPS, 8 2Bs, 1 3B, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs)

Much like with González, Mayer is being placed here as the current starter due to Alex Bregman’s foray into free agency and the team lacking another player to plug in at the hot corner. Of course, much like González, he could also be the starter at second base instead. In his short time with Boston, Mayer proved he was ready defensively, mostly playing third base which he handled with east after playing the position just five times between Portland and Worcester. He also appeared at second base and was able to handle the position well. Offensively, it was a different story, as he flashed some power and showed he could currently be league average against right-handers, but against left-handed pitching he struggled to a .154/.185/.231 line. Mayer is still young and has time to learn — his promotion to Boston last year was rushed due to Bregman’s injury — and he should fare better against major-league pitching in 2026.

Potential Backups:

Triston Casas (29 games, .182/.277/.303 .580 OPS, 3 2Bs, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs)

To say 2025 was a rough season for Casas would be an understatement. After getting off to an extremely cold start, the first baseman began to heat up slightly before a ruptured left patellar tendon ended his season in May. This is the second straight season where a serious injury cost him significant time (and the fourth of the last five season where he played under 105 games). However, when Casas is healthy and right. there’s no denying how important his bat can be. Just entering his age-26 season, should Casas get back to the player he looked like 2023 (24 home runs, .856 OPS), he could strengthen this lineup.

Nick Sogard (30 games, .260/.317/.344 .661 OPS 8 2Bs, 9 RBIs)

Sogard is a fascinating player, as he'd make plenty of teams’ 26-man roster easily with his skill set of playing all over the field and making quality contact. Unfortunately for Sogard, due to his two remaining minor-league options, he’ll likely be shuttled between Worcester and Boston just as he has been for the past two seasons. While Sogard can be solid defensive at multiple positions and has an average hit tool, his power could hold him back as his exit velocities are below average and he only has 12 career extra-base hits in 173 plate appearances.

Nate Eaton (41 games, .296/.348/.383 .731 OPS, 4 2Bs, 1 HR, 4 RBIs)

Eaton signed with Boston on a minor-league deal prior to the 2025 season and played well enough in Worcester to warrant a call-up to Boston after Rafael Devers was traded. While he didn’t produce many extra-base hits, Eaton managed to set career highs for exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel percentage, though he was mostly used as a late-game replacement or pinch runner. Eaton also allows the team to play loose with substitutions, as he can play all three outfield positions and third base.

Tristan Gray (30 games, .231/.282/.410 .693 OPS, 5 2Bs, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs)

Gray, who was recently acquired for Luis Guerrero, is an interesting depth option for the team. Unlikely to make the team out of spring training the infielder will most likely spend a lot of time with Worcester. Much like Sogard and Eaton, Gray provides the Red Sox with defensive versatility thanks to his ability to play all four infield positions. But unlike the other two, he also has power behind his swing, having what would have been one of the fastest bat speeds on the team in 2025. Gray does have a swing-and-miss issue, but if he makes contact, it's loud.

Triple-A Worcester:

Vinny Capra (47 games (White Sox/Brewers), .125/.157/.177 .334 OPS, 2 2Bs, 1 HR, 6 RBIs)

Capra, who signed a minor-league deal on Thanksgiving, provides the Red Sox with another dispensable veteran depth option should the team need a player for a short term. Capra has the ability to play not just third base but also second base and shortstop, giving the Sox a plug-and-play infielder. Offensively, he is not very good, if we're being blunt. In 142 career plate appearances, he has a batting line of .133/.181/.188 while striking out more times than he has hits (34 strikeouts to 17 hits). But he’s the kind of player the team has targeted before for minor-league depth, a veteran presence who can play multiple positions.

Mikey Romero (111 games (Portland Sea Dogs/Worcester Red Sox) .245/.300/.452 .751 OPS, 33 2Bs, 4 3Bs, 17 HRs, 76 RBIs)

Romero is a former first-round draft pick based on his potential ability as a hitter, but injuries have kept him off the field for his first few seasons. He did play a career-high amount of games this past season, for what it's worth. Also, Romero began a position change in 2025, playing more third base than shortstop, especially after his promotion to Worcester in July. Romero showcased average in-game power coming into this past season and a healthy offseason allowed him to hit career highs in doubles and home runs. He can make good contact against right-handers but struggles against left-handers and has a history of chasing changeups out of the zone. Defensively, second base may end up being his best position due to his arm strength, and even then, he may not be much more than an average defender.

Nathan Hickey (128 games, .234/.325/.408 .733 OPS, 23 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 17 HR, 75 RBIs)

While technically listed as a catcher on multiple depth charts, it’s currently due to the fact there are not many options at Triple-A at this point for the Red Sox. Hickey, who was drafted as a backstop, appeared mostly at first base or designated hitter after moving off of catcher in 2024. Defensively, he has taken rather well to the position, having made just four errors across 90 games there the past two seasons. Offensively, he has good raw power but swings-and-misses a bit. Hickey also is patient and knows the strike zone but whiffs considerably on pitches in the zone. He'd be a last-resort option for the Red Sox at first base.

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