Red Sox 29-Year-Old Projected to Swipe Roster Spot From Andruw Monasterio

"Nate Eaton's to lose," or neck-and-neck?

Sep 19, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton (40) hits a RBI single during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Subjectively speaking, the battle for the last right-handed hitter job on the Boston Red Sox's bench is the most interesting thing brewing in spring training.

With reliable lefty-masher Romy Gonzalez heading to the injured list for what the Red Sox hope isn't a majority of his season, there are two top candidates to fill in as a backup utility man who could get a lot of starts against southpaws: Nate Eaton and Andruw Monasterio.

For much of the spring, Monasterio has been considered the favorite to take that job -- both by Red Sox on SI and other outlets. But on Sunday, a new report suggested that it was actually Eaton who entered the new week with the upper hand.

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Has Nate Eaton already done enough?

Mar 7, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Great Britain third baseman Nate Eaton (18) hits a solo home run against the United States during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald projected the opening day roster, and hinted that Eaton had a strong edge over Monasterio, which should only be helped by his three-hit performance for Team Great Britain against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic that included a home run against Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

"The other spot remains Nate Eaton’s to lose," wrote Cerullo. "Throughout the offseason, Red Sox officials repeatedly identified Eaton as someone who could potentially fill Rob Refsnyder’s old reserve role, and with the left-handed hitting Masataka Yoshida expected to frequently come off the bench, the club will need a righty hitter who can play outfield as well.

"Monasterio and Nick Sogard remain in the mix but right now look ticketed for Triple-A."

Eaton was a valuable contributor to the Red Sox down the stretch, posting an OPS of .898 in 22 September games and winning a couple of games with his baserunning. But he also only appeared in 41 games in the majors after spending all of 2024 in the minors, so he'll have to prove this year, regardless of whether he starts the season on the major league roser, that he's turned over a new leaf.

Is Monasterio, who started the spring hot and played more games than Eaton in the majors last year, so far behind that a good couple of weeks can't flip the script? It's best to treat this spot as a true toss-up at this point, which is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.