How Alex Cora Reacted To Red Sox Prospect’s Statement Game
Kristian Campbell is trying to make the Red Sox Opening Day roster, so he needs to make the most of his remaining spring training opportunities.
He did just that Monday and Alex Cora certainly took notice.
Campbell had arguably the best performance of his spring in Boston’s loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The 22-year-old made a pair of flashy defensive plays in consecutive innings, ripped a double to left field and also showcased his plate discipline with a walk.
While Campbell can play multiple positions, his best chance to make the big club will likely come at second baseman. It appears Alex Bregman’s move across the diamond is on hold, at least for now, with the newly signed veteran getting reps at the hot corner. Rafael Devers is likely to be penciled in as designated hitter — at least to start the season.
That made Campbell’s performance at second base Monday even more important.
“He did a good job, made some plays. He’s going to get more reps there,” Cora told reporters after the game, per The Boston Globe.
The Sox skipper indicated Campbell would be back at second when the club makes the trip to Tampa to take on the Yankees on Tuesday.
“He’ll play (Tuesday), too. So it feels like he’s getting comfortable,” Cora added. “He put a good swing (on his double) and then the walk. That was good. But I think defensively, today was the first day I was able to see it.”
That could be huge for Campbell, especially if he can build on the momentum. The Red Sox don’t have to keep him in Boston to start the season. If he’s not going to play every day, the best move is likely to send him to Triple-A. The Red Sox have veterans like David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom or even Romy Gonzalez who could play second, too.
Unless Campbell takes the decision out of the bosses’ hands.
“I’ve been learning a lot this whole spring training just about baseball and when it comes to infield, outfield and fielding in general,” Campbell told reporters, per MLB.com. “Just everything. I’ve been learning a lot, so it’s been good so far. I wouldn’t really change anything. Just keep competing, keep my head up, keep staying positive throughout the rest of camp, and we’ll see what happens at the end.”
A couple more days like Monday over the final week of spring training will certainly make for an interesting decision Cora and the rest of the Red Sox brain trust will have to take on.