Everyday opportunity is there for Mayer, but he'll have to earn it 

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Once the top prospect whose arrival was anticipated for years by Red Sox Nation, Marcelo Mayer has seen the narrative shift this spring.

Mayer – the fourth overall pick in the 2021 Draft – is now at the stage where it is no longer about the scouting reports and the projections, but all about the results.

Though the expectation seems to be that Mayer will break camp as the starting second baseman for the Red Sox – and if not, the primary third baseman – manager Alex Cora says that the left-handed hitter must earn his spot on the roster.

“With Marcelo, we'll give him the baton, but he has to run,” Cora said. “If he wants to be the starting second baseman in Cincinnati, there's a lot of work to do.

“It's not a given that he's second baseman or third baseman for this team. There's a lot of things that he needs to show us this spring, and we expect him to do that because he's that talented. But at the same time, there's a lot of guys here that can do the job.”

Last season, Mayer became the second of Boston’s “Big 3” prospect group to earn his promotion to the Major Leagues. Kristian Campbell was the first on Opening Day, and he certainly had his ups and downs. Roman Anthony lived up to the expectations and more after his debut on June 9.

Mayer got the call on May 24 when Alex Bregman went on the injured list. Just less than two months later, his season was over thanks to a right wrist injury that required surgery.

Before getting hurt, Mayer, a lifetime shortstop, proved to be proficient at third and second base.

Mayer’s bat was more of a work in progress, as evidenced by a slash line of .228/.272/.402 with eight doubles, four homers and 10 RBIs in 136 plate appearances.

“There's a lot baseball related,” said Cora, when asked about specific areas of improvement. “He wasn't great offensively last year. He'll be the first one to tell you that. Defensively, he was excellent. Baserunning, he was really good. But offensively, there's more. We know that, but he has to show us that he can handle this.”

One thing the 23-year-old Mayer has is a strong opportunity to earn his spot. Bregman left as a free agent, leaving a vacancy in the infield.

Trade acquisition Caleb Durbin is likely to open as the starting third baseman. If not, he will be at second. Whichever position Durbin doesn’t play will be open for Mayer or someone else in camp.

The Red Sox have a wide cast of infielders in camp who could platoon if Mayer doesn’t win a spot.

Meanwhile, Mayer, who had a .416 OPS in his tiny sample size against lefties last year (27 plate appearances), hopes to show he isn’t a platoon player.

“I think it’s hitting [all pitchers]. It’s not only lefties,” Cora said. “It’s just, ‘Be consistent out there,’ and he'll be the first one to tell you [he needs to]. I know he has a lot of confidence in his ability. He'll tell you that he can hit at this level.

“But last year, in a small sample size, he was OK. He wasn't great. I think he was doing an outstanding job toward the end, but we need to control the zone, not chase so many pitches. So we will see some trends, and if we feel comfortable with him, he will be the guy.”