FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The remaking of the Red Sox’s infield continued on Monday, the eve of the club’s official opening of Spring Training, as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acquired 2025 NL Rookie of the Year finalist Caleb Durbin as part of a six-player swap in which Boston also acquired a Competitive Balance Round B selection in the 2026 Draft.
TRADE DETAILS
Red Sox receive: INF Caleb Durbin, INF Andruw Monasterio, INF Anthony Seigler, Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick
Brewers receive: LHP Kyle Harrison, INF David Hamilton, LHP prospect Shane Drohan
In addition to Durbin, Boston received infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler and a Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick. The 25-year-old Durbin slashed .256/.334/.387 while splitting time at third base (primary), second base and shortstop.
“We really like a lot of what Caleb brings to the table: strong defender, strong bat-to-ball skills,” said Breslow. “Really versatile, right-handed hitter. And I also feel like he's a good fit for our park just given the profile of hitting the ball in the air to the pull side -- I think he has a 20% air pull metric last year. I feel like that will play well at Fenway. Versatility, in terms of where he can play, [is a plus] and we still feel like his best days are ahead of him given his age and control. We're excited to get him into our organization.”
The buzzword for Boston’s infield in 2026 will be versatility. While veteran shortstop Trevor Story and recently acquired veteran first baseman Willson Contreras will hold down regular spots in the lineup and in the field, the same can’t be said for second and third base, which should see a lot of moving parts.
Durbin will play a key role in the puzzle, perhaps as the team’s primary third baseman. That could create an opportunity for Marcelo Mayer to top the depth chart at second base. Durbin can also play second and Mayer was a strong third baseman when used there last year.
Then, there is veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa (one-year deal pending a physical), who could be used here, there and everywhere in a super-utility role. He is expected to be Trevor Story’s primary backup at shortstop.
Though Romy Gonzalez is battling a left shoulder ailment that recently required a PRP injection, he is another player who can move all over the diamond, and his specialty is mashing left-handed pitching.
Manager Alex Cora, who spoke just hours after the completion of the trade, said Red Sox brass was having a meeting later in the day to gain more clarity on where players will be positioned.
“I think consistency is very important,” said Cora. “I know the value of being versatile, but having the second baseman and shortstop play as many games as possible together is very important. So, who’s going to be at second? Who's going to be at third? We don't know. But from my end -- and I’m not saying 100% of the games -- we’re going to try to be as consistent as possible.”
Monday’s trade was the latest pivot by Breslow that took place after Alex Bregman departed to the Cubs via free agency last month. At that point, Breslow opted to lean into run prevention via the addition of a solid No. 2 starter in Ranger Suárez and above average defenders in Kiner-Falefa and Durbin.
“We’ve got a good baseball team,” said Cora. “You’ve got to give credit to the front office. That Saturday in Boston [when Bregman signed with the Cubs], it felt like the world was falling and there's no direction, and this and that, but they did an outstanding job getting Suárez here and we kept working, working, working.”
In Durbin, the Red Sox get a player who is slight in frame (5-foot-7), but made a sizeable impact on the NL Central champion Brewers last season, combining good strike zone awareness and a solid bat. Durbin displayed speed (18 steals) and some pop (11 homers, 25 doubles) in 445 at-bats, producing a bWAR of 2.8.
“I think he showed last year that he can be a very good, everyday player in the big leagues,” said Breslow. “He does a lot of things really, really well. When you think about some of the deficiencies that our team had last year in terms of putting the ball in play, not expanding the strike zone, catching up to fastballs -- those are all things that he excels at, and we think that he's a really good defender as well."
The most notable piece going to Milwaukee in the deal is Harrison, a former top lefty starting pitching prospect who was considered perhaps the most important acquisition piece in the stunning deal last June that sent star slugger Rafael Devers to the Giants.
However, the Red Sox are suddenly deep in young, controllable starting pitching, and there didn’t seem a path for him to make the Opening Day roster. The southpaw has a 4.39 ERA across 42 outings (37 starts) since debuting in the Majors in 2023.
The 26-year-old Seigler represents an organizational depth piece, having played in 34 games for the Brewers in ‘25, his first Major League season. The lefty hitter and ambidextrous thrower made 16 starts at third base and one as the designated hitter. Seigler can catch and play the infield right-handed while throwing lefty from the outfield.