The Boston Red Sox are in dire need of help at the infield position. Ever since Xander Bogaerts' departure from the team, there has been a massive hole in the infield. In particular, second base has been a bit of a revolving door for the team. With Bobby Dalbec struggling at first base, the Red Sox are set to start one of their new acquisitions soon.
Vaughn Grissom, one of the prospects acquired by the Red Sox in the Chris Sale-Braves trade, is set to make his Boston debut soon. Injuries and an illness delayed Grissom's start for the team. With him now fully healthy, though, the former Atlanta SS will now make his start, presumably at second base. Dalbec will be optioned to Triple-A to make room for Grissom, per MLB.com.
“The Red Sox are optioning Dalbec to open a roster spot for Grissom, their starting second baseman. Grissom is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday and debut for his new team. Grissom was acquired by Boston for Chris Sale in December, however, he was sidelined throughout Spring Training by a right hamstring injury and also some right groin discomfort… He was originally expected to make his debut on Tuesday against the Giants, but a bout with the flu kept him out of that three-game series.”
The Red Sox are currently at 18-14, and are doing pretty well for themselves. The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees have separated themselves from the rest of the AL East, but Boston is doing well to hang in there. However, with the current roster they have, making a deep run in the playoffs will be tough.
Vaughn Grissom's role for Red Sox
Grissom was acquired by the Red Sox as part of the trade that sent Sale to Atlanta. Grissom was one of Atlanta's hottest prospects at one point. Grissom played heavy minutes during the 2022 season, filling in for an injured Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia at second base. Grissom played well in 2022, posting elite stats for an Atlanta team that won more than 100 games.
After Dansby Swanson departed in 2023, many expected Grissom to take over the starting shortstop position with Albies returning to 2B. In a surprising move at the time, though, it was Arcia that ended up as the full-time starter, with Grissom making spot appearances in the majors. It ended up being the right decision, as Arcia's bat and elite defense would earn him an All-Star appearance. Despite playing sparingly in 2023, the Red Sox saw value in Grissom, as the Braves included him in the offer for Sale.
The Red Sox are hoping that Grissom recaptures that magic that made him a hot prospect in the 2022 season. His defense was never as stellar as Arcia or other elite infielders, but he was at least solid at second base. More importantly, though, his bat should be the one most helpful for Boston. When he's on, he's got both the contact and the power to be a consistent hitter.
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