Red Sox Forced to Consider Breakup with Infielder Before All-Star Break

Time is becoming short for the Boston Red Sox as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Entering Tuesday with a 47-45 record, the Red Sox are 6.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the American League East and face an uphill climb playing in a division with four teams above .500.

A stunning trade that sent Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants could be the precursor to a busy deadline for the Red Sox. But it also gives them a chance to evaluate their roster for a postseason push in the second half. To that end, the Red Sox must consider breaking up with a starting infielder and it could open the door to a shocking trade as they head into the All-Star Break.

Red Sox Infielder David Hamilton on Thin Ice Ahead of All-Star Break

Lost in the aftershock of the Devers trade was the Red Sox’s decision to send Kristian Campbell to the minor leagues. One of Boston’s trio of prized prospects including Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, Campbell was sent down after hitting .223/.319/.345 with six homers and 21 RBI in his first 67 games and replaced by veteran infielder David Hamilton.

Nobody was expecting elite production from Hamilton, who was a career .235/.298/.373 hitter over his first two major league seasons. But if the Red Sox were hoping to stabilize the position, Hamilton has fallen short of those expectations.

Hamilton has been one of the worst players on the Red Sox over the past 30 days, tying with catcher Connor Wong for the lowest wins above replacement (WAR) on the team at -0.2. Hamilton’s traditional stats also indicate a hitter that has been overmatched, hitting .139/.225/.222 during that stretch. As a neutral fielder in the defensive runs saved metric, Hamilton’s bat is what needs to keep him in the lineup, but there are some things to consider before handing him a one-way ticket to Worcester.

The Red Sox would love to promote Campbell considering he signed an eight-year, $60 million contract extension last April. But he hasn’t responded well to his demotion, hitting .200/.379/.289 with five RBI in 13 games with the Woo Sox. It’s also likely that president of baseball operations would like to make this the last time Campbell is recalled, meaning he’ll have to get it together before finding his way back to Boston.

The other issue is that the Red Sox don’t have anyone to replace Hamilton if he’s sent down. Mayer is currently at the major league level but Boston probably doesn’t want to create another infield firestorm by asking a natural shortstop to play second base after filling in for Alex Bregman at third base. It’s also not an ideal situation defensively as Mayer logged minus-2 defensive runs saved in just 23 innings at second base this season.

This could lead Boston to the trade market but there aren’t a lot of second base options on The Athletic’s deadline big board. While Baltimore Orioles infielder Ramón Urías would be a slight offensive upgrade (.256/.309/.381, 6 HR, 29 RBI), he’s also spent most of the past four seasons at third base, which will be covered by Bregman’s return from injury.

It could lead to Boston getting creative to solve their second base problem but Hamilton has weighed them down and created another problem for the Red Sox infield.