Former Yanks farmhand Durbin embracing chance with Red Sox

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When Caleb Durbin was taken by the Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 Draft, he had already achieved a significant feat, earning enough notice at a Division III school (Washington University in St. Louis) to become a professional baseball player.

All this as a player who measured in at 5-foot-6 1/4 inches a few weeks ago when MLB set his strike zone for ABS challenges.

By now, however, it is best not to sell Durbin short. He has exceeded expectations at every step, which makes it somewhat curious that the Red Sox -- the team he was traded to by the Brewers just as Spring Training was starting -- are his fourth organization.

The second of those four teams, the New York Yankees, were in town on Wednesday afternoon for a Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, which means Durbin could well have been on the other side of MLB’s most storied rivalry.

Of the three trades Durbin was involved in, the one the Yankees made with Milwaukee was the easiest to understand, because he was the second chip (lefty Nestor Cortes was the first) in a deal that brought the powerful late-inning arm of Devin Williams to the Bronx.

But that doesn’t mean it was easy to let him go. Yankees manager Aaron Boone got an extended look at Durbin two years ago when he was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.

What does Boone remember most about the scrappy infielder?

“I remember it being hard to trade him,” said Boone. “I like the player. Just does a lot of things well. Just a good ballplayer, all around. Can play multiple positions. Has the running game in there. Has a little bit of sock, but really good bat-to-ball skills. Knows the zone. Even though we were getting a frontline closer, which I was excited about, it was hard to see Durbin go just because he is a quality player.”

Durbin views the Yankees experience as one that was important in his development.

“It was my first big league camp. So that was a big step for me,” said Durbin. “You take it in steps, and getting your first big league camp is a big accomplishment. And that was the team that ended up making it to the World Series. So it was a really valuable experience just being around. Up to that point, that was the most big leaguers I had ever been with in a locker room. So that was definitely a cool experience for me.”

Those few weeks he could call Aaron Judge his teammate is something Durbin will keep in his memory bank. What does he remember most about the Yankees’ mammoth superstar?

“Just looking up at the ceiling when I was talking to him,” said Durbin. “But he's a great captain for them. He's really a great ambassador for the sport. Very humble person who is obviously one of the best players in the game as well.”

In the Red Sox, Durbin might just find out that his fourth franchise is the charm. The club has a strong belief he can be a cornerstone on this year’s team.

After finishing third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2025, the Red Sox saw enough from afar to have no hesitation in saying he will be an everyday player, most likely at third base, but possibly at second. He currently projects to hit sixth in manager Alex Cora’s lineup, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if he moves to the No. 2 hole against lefties.

“Just a gamer,” said Cora. “He does everything well on the diamond in every aspect. I think he’s a championship-caliber player on a championship-caliber team. He can run the bases, play defense, put the ball in play and hit for power.”

It hasn’t taken Durbin much time to embrace all things Red Sox.

“I feel settled in,” said Durbin.

But the real fun for the 26-year-old will be when he gets to Boston, a city in which fans love the down-and-dirty type of players -- the ones who rarely leave the field without a dirt-stained uniform.

“I try not to [finish a game with a clean uniform],” Durbin said. “If that’s the case, it was a bad day. From what I've heard, the fans love winning. That's the only thing I really care about. So I think it'll be a good fit.”