Who plays second base in 2024?

I'm going to guess urias but I'm certainly not very confident in it. I would add Joey wendle as an FA option as well. I think if an FA option is brought in it's likely to be a LHH since Bloom was interested in a LHH MI at the deadline.

I want to say Story and Rafaela at SS but shouldn`t.

At this moment I say Urias, but he needs to turn this year around fast for that to be an okay plan. If he doesn't figure it out I like Merrifield.

Adam Frazier or Joey Wendle to platoon with Urias makes sense.  Wouldn't be shocked to see Kolten Wong on a minor league deal.  

I think they'll give Urias every opportunity and spell him with Reyes.

If Valdez improves enough to be adequate at 2b, he could get another look if Urias srruggles.

If Valdez remains the defensive liability he has been and Urias doesnt hit then David Hamilton could get a look. Hamilton proved he is not a major league SS but that doesnt mean that he cant bec serviceable at 2b.

Either way I think all of these guys are just holding the fort until Yorke is ready.

The way everyone mashes at Worcester its not hard to see Yorke putting up gaudy stats in AAA and having everybody clamoring for him to be the 2b by July and then Yorke coming up and struggling a bit as he gets his feet wet.

I wouldnt be shocked in Urias struggles and Reyes winds up getting some run at 2b before ultimately giving way to Yorke.

I dont think the Sox will go outside the organization for 2b help. Theyll do more trial and error at 2b with their numerous inhouse candidates until Yorke forces his way up.

I think Nick Sogard could be the best option. I think Urias and Valdez switch and Reyes/Valdez platoon until injury then Urias gets another shot but I really like Sogard and wouldn’t sleep on him. I’m praying Valdez gets it together defensively because i love
that swing!

I would nix this because I think Rafaela should get a shot to stick at his best position (CF). Story should also play a good SS in the meantime, and it is much easier to find a passable 2B than a passable SS, even in a world with no shift.

I would probably prefer an in-house solution at 2B. Trading for Kim would be incredible, but he's a stud and would be pretty darned expensive to acquire. Wouldn't hate Adames either, as I think he's a good bet to rebound offensively and Milwaukee might be a little more willing to move on from him given the down year this year. Other than that, I don't really like any of the FAs or one-year-of-control guys.

I don't particularly see the fit with Merrifield in terms of team building unless it's a bargain on a one year deal. He's getting up there in years and I feel like he might want to maximize his earnings with a 2 maybe 3 year deal at 10+M a year which no that's not a ton of money but I feel like they have other options at 2nd that wouldn't be that much of a downgrade and will cost way less.

Barring another setback in terms of his elbow, I think Trevor Story is quickly showing (both in his rehab and first week back on the MLB roster) that he is locked into the SS position until Marcelo Mayer comes up. And based on the wall/injury Mayer has dealt with, that seems like a conversation more likely to come up in the offseason heading into 2025.

With that said, and the focus on 2B, I think there should be a lot weight should be place on the fact that Bloom's only trade deadline move (outside of sending out Kiké) was to acquire Luis Urias. From the outset of picking him up, I was of the mindset that everything about his future with the team would be determined by his play in the last 2 months of the season.

However, I really do believe now that Bloom made that move with the intention that Urias would be the 2B for the remainder of this season, and the opening day 2B next year. Pablo Reyes is certainly throwing a wrench into that (in the best of ways), but the fact that Urias arrived in Boston and was starting for the team essentially the next day tells me how much Bloom believes in his ability to get back to the player he was in 2021-2022.

Regardless, with Pablo Reyes and Urias under control, I do not foresee Bloom allocating dollars to that position in terms of a free agent signing in the offseason. And I have absolutely no problem with that. I want virtually every single last penny that ownership gives Bloom to work with to be spent on starting pitching.

This is tied well with the OF discussion too. Does the team load up on veteran fillers again (signing a Duvall type and a Merrifield type) as placeholders and "ignore" Abreu, Ceddanne, and Yorke among others in 2024 team-building? Do they leave one open spot for a youngster and sign one outside FA as a starter? Do they do a half measure with a 2nd division starter like Reyes or Urias and wait-and-see on the rest?

For Casas, they let him figure it out for the most part in the majors. I think the most likely candidate for that right now is Ceddanne (based on pedigree and having a ML-ready defensive skill while the bat gets figured out) which makes me think they press for a veteran in the infield first. Or, Urias shows up over the next 2 months and we're set until Yorke or similar forces the issue.

Whether they sign a SS to play 2B or sign a SS and move Story to 2B, I don't think it should matter too much. But who's the SS?

With Rafaela’s defensive versatility (RH in CF against lefties), and he could even play 2B, why not go with him? Proven everything he can at AAA. Can be everyday and move around. Not sure Valdez can make the jump to everyday, Hamilton a bench guy, Urias will cost $5MM in arb, leaving Reyes. Rafaela is best option.