The Logical Move: Marcelo Mayer Takes Over at Shortstop After Story’s Surgery!

The infield guessing game is over. Interim manager Chad Tracy is putting our top prospect back at his natural position after months at second base.

Hey Red Sox Nation! After the absolute shock surrounding Trevor Story’s surgery and his month-long absence, a massive question loomed over us: How do we fill this gaping hole in the middle of our infield? Today, a very insightful article from Sports Al Dente gives us the answer. The front office and interim manager Chad Tracy have made a defining decision: Our top prospect Marcelo Mayer is returning to his natural position as shortstop!

As a reminder: When we selected Mayer fourth overall in the 2021 draft, he was firmly penciled in as our shortstop of the future. However, due to Story’s presence, he has been used almost exclusively at second base and occasionally at third base this season. With Story’s lengthy rehab ahead, this original development plan is now being drastically accelerated.

According to the report, Mayer was already taking groundballs heavily at the shortstop position during our last series in Kansas City. Chad Tracy made it clear that while Mayer won’t necessarily start there every single day (we still have guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Nick Sogard to rotate), the focus is now squarely on getting him accustomed to the angles and longer throws across the diamond again.

Mayer himself is extremely confident, openly calling the shortstop position his “home.” Even if it takes a few games to perfect the old muscle memory and reactions after spending so much time on the right side of the infield, this is the only right move for his long-term development and our defensive stability.

The big hope now is that feeling at “home” defensively will also help him find more consistency at the plate. With a current batting average of .221, there’s definitely room for improvement offensively.

What do you think? Is shifting Mayer back the perfect internal solution to the Trevor Story dilemma, or should we have been active on the trade market? Let’s discuss in the comments! Go Sox!