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Remember this game in 2020? Tampa started NINE left-handed hitters against the Sox. No switch hitters. And eight of them threw right-handed. No need to pay me

Hamilton homered in his next at-bat after you posted this. Post it again next time he’s in the lineup…

No. What would be odd is if those players all threw left-handed, yet the Sox still used them 2b, SS and catcher. Also, Devers?

O’Neill is on pace for 81 HRs and 81 RBI…

That’s the biggest reason. They’re not going to get a full replacement if he’s only out 2-3 weeks. The information is not yet complete. Except on Dalbec. Seriously, do people still think he’s an MLB player?

Hamilton was the FAST choice. Unless he somehow shows something special, he’s just a stopgap…

I would take his defense in LF over Devers’ at 3b…

With the Mets posting a 1.128 OPS in AAA. I hope he has an upward mobility clause…

I wouldn’t have minded grabbing Ahmed, or my perennially ask for Paul DeJong (who is NOT worth the attention I call to him), but backup SS types get DFAd a lot. The Marlins DFAd Jacob Amaya last week. Hopefully Hamilton/Reyes isn’t the permanent solution, and is just a stopgap until Grissom returns. But even then, they might want to find a stopgap shortstop better than Reyes. The Ahmed/DeJong types are easy to complain about NOW, but these guys also took deals that had them starting right away. And if the Sox signed some backup SS type, I’d doubt it would be anyone we really want to see starting 154 times? Do you really want 154 games of Nick Ahmed? Mayer hasn’t played since August 2nd. He might be on the radar, but can he at least try to get back into it with a minor league game or two first? How many of those freshman varsity players didn’t play at all in 8th grade? In the meantime, it’s probably Reyes, followed by Grissom at SS. And if that flops, then they look into trades and DFAs. The Sox did get Reyes after the season started last year, too. (And a Grissom/Valdez combo up the middle sounds atrocious. Hopefully it’s very short-lived.)

Is Nick Ahmed, coming off a season of 0.1 fWAR in 210 PA, really a huge step up over Pablo Reyes? Whoever plays SS this week is not required to hold the position all year. There may be other stopgaps between now and Mayer. But can the Sox let Mayer actually play a little before they call him up?

The Sox did get one last year. They just grabbed a guy with bigger injury problems for some reason. If Story is out for the year, filling the role with a utility infielder isn’t difficult at all. Those guys get DFAd weekly. Of course most of them probably aren’t a significant upgrade over Pablo Reyes and the other internal options. If Story is out all season, at some point Marcelo Mayer might be an option. Or possibly other Worcester players like Romy Gonzalez or Chase Meidroth…

Cora doesn’t ever seem too concerned with defense. Devers is going to make mistakes and allow runs. This will be more tolerable when he isn’t batting .207/.324/.379…

Matt Chapman was looking for work for a loooong time this off-season. Heck, Gio Urshela took forever and still settled for low money and short years…

We might get to see what Atlanta didn’t like about Vaughn Grissom..

I’m a bigger fan of the Ham than I am of Dalbec…

Dalbec has struck out 6 times in 8 plate appearances this year…

.167/.250/.500 (.750 OPS) is bolstered by the fact that 2 of his 3 hits for Worcester have been home runs…

I’m not a big “elite closer” guy, and Jansen is clearly winding down a career that might put him in Cooperstown. But even if you don’t agree with the closer strategy, you still need good pitchers in the bullpen. And Kenley still is one..

Just get off my lawn already!!!

Valdez’ leash is tied directly to Vaughn Grissom’s recovery…

Cora won’t hesitate to put Duran in CF…

Small sample. If he goes 3 for 3 with 3 singles it jumps to .752. His biggest issue is Hamilton and likely call up Romy Gonzalez are already on the 40 man. If they call up Romy Gonzalez, he isn’t exactly loaded with out field experience. 712 minor league innings, mostly in LF. That’s roughly half of a season. It’s probably enough for his inevitable bench role, however. And he’s the closest thing to a minor league outfielder on the 40 man…

Schaneul is 10 months older. Wyatt Langford is a 13 months older. Certainly not huge differences, but both are playing in their age 22 season while Mayer is in his age 21 season. And Schanuel is certainly displaying his legendary plate discipline, but not much else. The biggest reason NOT to promote Mayer is - when did he last play? Portland’s season was supposed to start last night. Did it? And did Mayer play? If not, he hasn’t played in a real game at any level in quite some time. Even if he did, he’s only played one game since last year’s injury-shortened campaign…

I doubt the Sox start his service time clock and set him up for free agency at age 28 just so he can field a few grounders while Story heals. Rafaela is already in Boston. Hamilton has played in Boston. Pablo Reyes has proven to be an acceptable short term solution once already. Sogard dazzled in ST. Grissom comes back next week and has MLB SS experience. His defensive shortcomings Atlanta disapproved of might not bother Cora so much and might not be overly exposed if it’s only for two weeks. (More likely he takes over 2b and pushes weak side 2b platoon player Reyes into full time SS.) I think they have other options. I think Rafaela for the next week or so, and then Grissom takes over 2b and pushes Reyes into SS. Not sure who they recall to replace Story if/when he hits the IL…

Hamilton can fill a need in Worcester. It’s just that if he is not needed when the only starter above him on the org depth chart gets hurt, he really had no place on the 40 man roster. If they do call him up, even just to fill a bench role, obviously that’s different. But if not, DFA him, and then you can re-sign him to Worcester if he clears waivers (and accepts assignment)…