Nate Eaton vs. Nick Sogard: A Battle for the Red Sox's Final Bench Spot

[Nick John]

When it comes to building out a 26-man active roster, typically, the bench takes into account the thought of potential platoons, defensive versatility, pinch running, along with overall experience and track record of a player.

The Boston Red Sox have done an excellent job of building a bench in previous seasons with the likes of Rob Refsnyder and Romy González proving to be versatile in the field while filling a niche at the plate. Now, the Red Sox are faced with possibly building an entirely new bench with the departure of Refsnyder as a free agent to the Seattle Mariners and the possibility of González entering a platoon with Marcelo Mayer somewhere in the infield.

Currently, their bench is likely to feature Connor Wong and David Hamilton, pending any further offseason moves. Wong will be the backup catcher along with a right-handed bat off the bench, while Hamilton could play either second base or shortstop while also being a late-game, pinch-runner option for manager Alex Cora thanks to his speed. Depending on how Cora builds his lineup with the current players on his roster, Masataka Yoshida seems like another option to be on the bench. While dealing with his shoulder issue and rehab during the previous two seasons, Yoshida should be completely healthy now. While his defensive versatility is limited to left field and he lacks game-changing speed, he is a great bat when it comes to putting the ball in play. Should he not be in the starting lineup, he could likely be the first bat off the bench against a right-handed pitcher.

Assuming Mayer is at third base and Gonzalez is at second on any given day, that then leaves a single spot left for the bench between two players who both deserve it after their contributions in 2025: Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton.

Based off of just minor-league options that remain between the duo, Sogard would appear to have the leg up on Eaton. Entering 2026, Sogard is out of options while Eaton has one remaining. It would allow the Red Sox to stash Eaton in Triple-A Worcester and shuttle him between Boston and Worcester as needed. Sogard, on the other hand, would need to pass through waivers to make it to Worcester, but there’s a good chance a team would take a flier on him based on his profile.

During his Red Sox tenure, Sogard has been used as a super-utility player as he’s made appearances at second base, shortstop, third base, first base, and right field. He’s played in 61 regular season games and two playoff games, getting the starts in the first two games of last year’s wild card round. For his career, Sogard, a switch-hitter, has slashed .266/.321/.335 with an OPS of .656. He’s hit 12 doubles and driven in 17 runs while walking just 12 times to 49 strikeouts. Despite seeing more time against right-handed pitching, Sogard has put up better numbers against left-handed pitching with a stat line of .333/.352/.431 in 54 plate appearances.

He may not be a perfect player, but he knows how to serve his role perfectly. Defensively, he will provide rest for one of the starters while also providing Cora with a late-game substitution option. There’s no denying he gained Cora’s trust down the stretch as he earned the two starts in the playoffs. His lack of power may hold him back though, and yet the Red Sox may not want to risk losing him. A number of teams would be likely to scoop him up should he fail to make the Opening Day roster.

As aforementioned, Eaton is able to be sent to Worcester. The outfielder was a key player down the stretch for Boston and also played in two games in the postseason. Across 2025, Eaton appeared in 41 games hitting a career best .296/.348/.383 with a .731 OPS. He had four doubles, a home run, and four RBIs along with nine stolen bases. He also walked six times against 19 strikeouts.

Eaton doesn’t provide as much defensive versatility but has played all three outfield positions and third base for the Red Sox. In the minors, he also played a little second base across his career (41 games across six seasons), though that would most likely only be as an emergency should he make Boston’s roster.

Offensively, he doesn’t have much power like Sogard and relies on putting the ball in play and using his speed. While he has hit better against left-handed pitching across his career (.256/.310/.356 in 101 plate appearances) he actually performed better against right-handed pitching with the Red Sox. Regardless, his best skill is his speed. You can never have too many potential base stealers on the bench in a close game and that was on display in September with both Hamilton and Eaton on the active roster. Yet, that may be seen as redundant with Hamilton likely to be on the bench come Opening Day.

It's hardly the most important narrative surrounding the team, but the Sogard v. Eaton bench battle may end up being one of the storylines that defines the Red Sox's roster in spring training.

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