Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer Might Take Fellow Rookie's Starting Job, Per Insider

The Boston Red Sox have been trying to thread the needle between winning now and developing superstar prospects, and it's created sticky situations galore.

Second baseman Kristian Campbell joined the team straight out of spring training and signed an eight-year extension shortly thereafter. Shortstop Marcelo Mayer has only played third base as an injury replacement for Alex Bregman, and number-one prospect Roman Anthony flipped from left field to right field to account for Wilyer Abreu's oblique strain.

Mayer, who was considered the team's number-three prospect by most, has been the most impressive of late. After his two-homer game on Wednesday, his OPS sits at .835 over his first 15 games. Plus, he's been fantastic at the hot corner, collecting two outs above average.

According to MassLive insider Sean McAdam, Mayer seems to be currying favor with the big-league coaching staff and earning himself more playing time even when Bregman is healthy. But that might come at the expense of Campbell, who is a candidate to be sent back to Triple-A if he slumps in June.

"Whenever Alex Bregman comes back, be that a couple of weeks or a month, however long it's going to be, I think they want Mayer in the everyday lineup," McAdam said on the Fenway Rundown podcast. "It could be at second base and it could be at the expense of Kristian Campbell.

"I don't think they're going to try him (Mayer) at first. They tried that with Campbell. It put more on his plate... Wherever Mayer ends up, upon Bregman's return and maybe upon Abreu's return, he's earning a longer look and more playing time wherever they can fit him in."

Campbell, the American League Rookie of the Month for April, has batted .167 with a .471 OPS since the start of May, which also coincides with him missing a series due to rib discomfort. His -14 defensive runs saved is the worst mark in the majors at any position.

This is the pitfall of having so many star prospects trying to learn at the big-league level. The Red Sox have to love what they've seen from Mayer, but they don't want to strip Campbell of at-bats that will help him grow into a star.

Eventually, when the Red Sox have their full, healthy roster, the organization is going to have to figure out who gets the short end of the stick, which could involve trading an outfielder. Mayer and Campbell are staying put, but that doesn't guarantee both a major league roster spot.