Red Sox Might Pivot To Rookie Phenom at First Base

John Henry, the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox, flew to Kansas City last week to meet with Rafael Devers, the third baseman-turned-DH who outright refused to play first base earlier this month.

Not only did Devers rebuke the request from Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, Devers openly wondered "what he has with me."

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What Breslow has is a sudden need to fill the shoes of Triston Casas, who earlier this month suffered a season-ending knee injury, leaving Boston without its everyday first baseman.

Devers told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com that Breslow "should do their job essentially and hit the market and look for another player."

Consider the message received.

Before Breslow makes a trade, however, it appears he is at least willing to test his other internal options. To that end, rookie phenom Kristian Campbell was spotted taking grounders at first base Friday at Fenway Park — a sign the Sox might pivot to the 22-year-old to play a position he hasn't played since the Sox selected Campbell with its fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Campbell has made 33 appearances at second base, four in center field and two in left field — a testament to his versatility, athleticism, and willing to move around the field as the team's needs dictate.

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Campbell is also pulling his weight at the plate, slashing .246/.337/.408 (109 OPS+) in 38 games.

A few pregame drills are a long way from playing the same position in a game, and it's unclear if or how Campbell will adapt to a new position.

As a minor leaguer, Campbell saw the lion's share of his playing time at second base, center field and shortstop. In his final collegiate season at Georgia Tech, Campbell mainly played second base.

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Now, it appears the Red Sox are at least seeing how Campbell's athleticism translates to first base, where his range is less useful but the team's needs are stronger.

Campbell began the season as a consensus Top 10 prospect in baseball. He might end the season as a first baseman, thanks to an unfortunate injury and a $313.5 million star who was unwilling to test his own versatility.

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