Red Sox Urged To Sell High On 27-Year-Old Starting 2B Candidate In Surprise Trade

What should the Red Sox do if this infielder doesn't win a starting job?

Aug 27, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop David Hamilton (70) steals second base against Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Will Wagner (7) during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The infield logjam will be a storyline until further notice for the Boston Red Sox.

With Opening Day roster decisions approaching, Boston has yet to settle a wide-open competition for the starting second base job. Meanwhile, there's the drama over whether Rafael Devers will move to designated hitter (spoiler alert: almost definitely), clearing a path for Alex Bregman to take over third.

Amid all that uncertainty, David Hamilton has quietly boosted his stock this spring. Most envisioned Hamilton as an ideal utility player this year, possibly even getting some time in the outfield, but now, it looks as though he's got a legitimate shot to win the second base job.

If the Red Sox brass were hooked up to a lie detector test, however, they'd likely tell us that they want top prospect Kristian Campbell to be the starting second baseman. That would leave Hamilton in the aforementioned bench/spot starting role, unless the team believes he's built his value high enough to be traded.

On Monday, FanSided's Miles Houston urged the Red Sox to consider dealing Hamilton before potentially relegating him to a utility/bench role at some point during the season.

"In 294 at-bats, (Hamilton) slashed .248/.303/.395/.697 with eight home runs and a 92 OPS+ and wRC+. While these numbers are not insane, they demonstrate Hamilton’s potential to be a productive big leaguer," Houston wrote.

"The Red Sox could look to move Hamilton because of their crowded middle infield... With a solid 2024 under his belt, Hamilton proved to be a solid Major League player, and he should generate a lot of interest from teams in need of infield help."

Hamilton had 2.6 rWAR in 98 games last year and finished fifth in the American League with 33 stolen bases. Some team would almost certainly have a full-time starting role for him if the Red Sox don't, though it's awfully tempting to keep that stolen base potential around.

Houston didn't mention any potential suitors, but one would have to think the Seattle Mariners, who sniffed around Red Sox position players all offseason and are fixing to start Ryan Bliss or Dylan Moore at second base, would welcome the addition.

Could Hamilton net the Red Sox a young reliever with similar remaining years of control? Perhaps one that can become the closer? It's a possibility worth exploring, but there's no need to make a desperate move.

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