At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Boston Red Sox fans anticipated a clear infield arrangement for 2026, with Trevor Story expected to occupy shortstop, Marcelo Mayer at second base, and Alex Bregman at third base. However, Bregman’s departure disrupted these plans, prompting the Red Sox to incorporate former Milwaukee Brewer and 2025 Rookie of the Year finalist Caleb Durbin into the infield. Although Durbin’s primary position is third base, the team has been experimenting with different configurations during early spring training.
Throughout the first week of spring training, Durbin primarily took reps at third base while Mayer gained extensive experience at second base. On February 18, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that Durbin would also receive time at second base the following day, and both players were slated to share time at third base during the team’s first two Grapefruit League contests.
Emerging Competition for Second and Third Base Positions
Following the trade acquisition of Durbin, some observers believed he would secure the starting second base role. However, a January 21 report by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, citing an internal source, indicated a preference for Mayer to play third base, allowing him to develop defensively on the same side of the infield where he is projected to ultimately settle at shortstop.
Mayer gained major league experience at third base while filling in for Bregman, who contended with a quad injury from May through June. Despite minimal minor league exposure at the position—just six games—Mayer demonstrated reliable defense, committing only one error across 248.2 innings at third base in the majors.
Durbin, meanwhile, logged significant time at third base during his rookie season, also appearing occasionally at shortstop and second base. Defensively, he registered league-average Outs Above Average (OAA) metrics and ranked around the 51st percentile across 131 third base appearances. His minor league experience was predominantly at second base, accumulating over 1,286 innings at that position across all minor league levels. This background suggests Durbin might ultimately be better suited defensively to second base than Mayer.
Critical Spring Training Duel for Infield Roles and Future Development
The competition for second and third base during Red Sox spring training is among the closest positional battles, alongside the contest for the team’s fifth starting rotation spot. Boston’s coaching staff faces a strategic decision: whether to prioritize Durbin’s major league experience at third base or to continue Mayer’s development at that position as preparation for his eventual transition to shortstop. The outcomes of these early contests will influence the Red Sox’s infield configuration and player development path going forward.
Still no announcement on the infield alignment, but in every team workout, Durbin has been at third with Mayer at 2B..Cora had indicated yesterday we could see Durbin at second today.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) February 19, 2026
