Red Sox Expected to Option 28-Year-Old From Brewers Trade to Triple-A

Having options can be a tough break sometimes

May 10, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox's cap and glove on the field before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The fallout is still slowly unraveling after the Boston Red Sox's out-of-nowhere trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

For Boston, the obvious headliner was the acquisition of infielder Caleb Durbin. But there were six players involved in the deal in total, including two other infielders who will now be in the picture for the Red Sox at spring training.

One of those infielders, 28-year-old Andruw Monasterio, has significant major league experience and the versatility to play all over the diamond. But in a suddenly crowded area of the depth chart, it appears his opportunities to win a job during spring training will be somewhat limited.

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Is Monasterio destined to start year in Triple-A?

Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Andruw Monasterio (14) fields a ground ball against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

On Monday, Jen McCaffrey, Ken Rosenthal, and Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote in a piece reporting the trade that it was unlikely Monasterio, who has two minor-league options available, would be able to crack Boston's opening day roster.

"Monasterio and (Anthony) Seigler, acquired from the Brewers, offer more depth for the Red Sox and likely will begin the season at Triple A," wrote McCaffrey, Rosenthal, and Sammon.

Monasterio has 219 major league games under his belt over the last three seasons, in which he has slashed .250/.321/.351 with just eight home runs. He set a new personal best with a .756 OPS last season and was particularly effective against left-handers, with an .837 OPS in 50 plate appearances.

That last point could prove significant, depending on Boston's roster needs at the end of camp.

Where things could get interesting for Monasterio is a scenario in which Romy Gonzalez, who reported to camp on Monday with a nagging left shoulder injury, would be unavailable to start the season.

If that were the case, it might come down to Monasterio and Nate Eaton for one final roster spot. One has to figure that Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Masataka Yoshida, and Connor Wong will have solid grips on bench spots to start the season if no other injuries to position players occur.

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