The Boston Red Sox seem to be spiraling down at the moment. It’s no surprise that their mismanagement is to blame for it. Be it failing to bring the top prospects from the minor to the major league or the drastic performance that led to consecutive losses against the Milwaukee Brewers. Now, amid the clubhouse under intense scrutiny, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has dropped a major bomb regarding Kristian Campbell, one of their top prospects, who is yet to play in the major league.
Kristian Campbell has been developed as an outfielder and second baseman. He will be put to the test for the rotation in this hour of need, though, so they can determine which position he will play this season. But they have been testing Campbell for the first base since May 16, right? Then why hasn’t he been looked at to cover first base?
In a recent “Nothing Personal with David Samson” video, Samson said, “The Red Sox now have a problem at first base; they have a problem at third base because Alex Bregman’s hurt. So, you’d think that there would be a solution and a pretty easy solution by getting Rafael Devers to put a glove back on.” Devers, however, is unwilling to switch positions because he was moved from third base to a designated hitter position and is now expected to play first base once more.
Alex Cora, however, reflecting on the scenario, said, “We’re still talking about the situation like this is where we’re at; you know there’s a chance Kristian is going to play first base this weekend in Atlanta.” Cora even revealed that Campbell feels confident to play. In fact, with Triston Casas’s season-ending injury on May 2, the Red Sox will be looking to fill the void at first base. And guess what, Campbell seems to be the perfect fit.
But since he has primarily played second base, left field, and even center field, it will be a new position. He can therefore play any position the Red Sox offer him because of his versatility. Kristian Campbell has posted five home runs, at a .225 average with a .315 OBP and .669. Although it’s not particularly noteworthy, letting him play can also help keep Marcelo Mayer in the starting lineup even after Alex Bregman returns.
Although Alex Cora remains optimistic about Campbell performing well, he does not want him to play seven games in a row. The Red Sox would like to go “little by little”, and hopefully, the upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves will pave the way for him to get into the new position perfectly.
Will Kristian Campbell be a good option for the Boston Red Sox?
Well, it’s too early to say anything. However, given the slump Kristian Campbell is going through, presumably, the position the Red Sox have put Campbell in might not be a good position for him to gain success. As discussed by Buster Olney and Paul Hembekides on Baseball Tonight, Alex Cora has been putting too much pressure on the rookie. Although it is admirable that Campbell wants to be adaptable enough to play a variety of positions, it is undeniable that he may not feel comfortable doing so.
As expected, it’s no surprise to see him struggling at the plate. The reason? Well, according to Olney, Rafael Devers has clearly disagreed with taking ground balls at first base. He will not make any adjustments given that his position was earlier changed after Alex Bregman was signed by the Red Sox. Even though the Red Sox are aware that Campbell was trained to play second base prior to the spring training, they are still attempting to test him out at first base.
Moreover, Kristian Campbell’s swing of the bat hasn’t been consistent, either. So, the only solution is to figure out his at-bats and play one position rather than shuffling across different positions. “I can definitely sympathize with Kristian Campbell, who’s doing the best he can for the team, but right now, his at-bats are really struggling as a direct result of all those issues,” Hembekides said, pointing out the major areas that need improvements.
As for the Red Sox fans, they will have to be a little bit patient to see what happens. However, amid the current struggles, the way Kristian Campbell is being handled at the moment doesn’t seem to be good at all.
The post Alex Cora Makes Major Kristian Campbell Announcement as Red Sox’s Clubhouse Mismanagement Under Grave Scrutiny appeared first on EssentiallySports.