Red Sox Speedster In Danger Of Losing Roster Spot, Per Insider

What were the long-term implications of Tuesday's moves?

Jul 21, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; General view of a Boston Red Sox cap before a game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Those that survived the Boston Red Sox's flurry of roster moves on Tuesday are not necessarily safe.

Instead of doing the bare minimum to finalize their 40-man roster before the Rule 5 Draft, the Red Sox went into scramble mode. Three prospects were protected (pitchers Tyler Uberstine, Shane Drohan, and David Sandlin), while the Red Sox also made four trades and designated a pair of players fans know well for assignment.

Surprisingly enough, the Red Sox also acquired two utility position players who could be in the mix for big-league playing time this season. That put some Red Sox returners on notice, even though they weren't in danger of being DFA'd on Tuesday.

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Will Red Sox cut ties with David Hamilton?

With the acquisitions of former Tampa Bay Rays big-leaguer Tristan Gray and Colorado Rockies Triple-A utility man Braiden Ward, one insider believes the Red Sox's go-to speedster could be in jeopardy.

On Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive named speedy second baseman David Hamilton as one of the players who could be cut or traded by the time Boston begins its spring training in February.

"The addition of Gray — and of Ward, who will certainly be a non-roster invitee — may signal that someone else in that group could lose his spot soon," Cotillo wrote. "It’s fair to wonder how many chances Hamilton will get.

"As the roster gets tighter, there are going to be fewer spots for players who represent depth. It’s unlikely all these players are with the Sox when camp breaks in February."

There were justifiably high hopes for Hamilton this past season, as he'd stolen 33 bases in 37 attempts as a rookie in 2024. But the 28-year-old struggled to adjust to a part-time role, batting just .198 with a .257 on-base percentage in 177 plate appearances.

Gray does not have a stolen base in 47 major league games, but Ward stole 57 bags in only 97 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season and looks like a fairly exact skill set match for Hamilton.

Because he has game-changing speed, another team would almost certainly take Hamilton in a trade if the Red Sox decided he was the odd man out the next time they signed a free agent.

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