Purple Sox’ Alex Cora has distinctive plan to maximise Kristian Campbell’s versatility

Boston’s final true on a regular basis second baseman was Dustin Pedroia, practically a decade in the past and earlier than Alex Cora started managing the group in 2018.

The Purple Sox have since endured a revolving door of infielders, together with Ian Kinsler, Eduardo Nuñez, Brock Holt, José Peraza, Christian Arroyo, and Bobby Dalbec, and misplaced too many video games to rely due to Infield protection, or lack thereof.

Lastly, in Kristian Campbell, whose eight-year contract extension they introduced on Wednesday, the Purple Sox lastly really feel they’ve a real second-base successor.

A second baseman who was initially listed for left-field in Saturday’s lineup, earlier than Cora introduced that he’d be taking part in middle as a substitute.

Nonetheless, the Purple Sox don’t need to waste his versatility, so the plan is for him to play the outfield as soon as every week. Particularly middle, the place he began 25 of his 137 profession video games within the minors.

“Proper now, Kristian’s second baseman, and he’ll play the outfield most likely as soon as every week,” Cora stated Saturday afternoon. “I don’t know why, throughout spring coaching, we had this loopy thought of taking part in him in left-field when he performed middle final 12 months.”

With Ceddanne Rafaela and Campbell taking part in in middle, Jarren Duran will spend the vast majority of his time in left. That was the plan final season as properly, earlier than Trevor Story’s damage pressured the Purple Sox to play Rafaela at shortstop 82 occasions.

“Watching Jarren taking part in left-field yesterday, I feel he’s a monster on the market,” Cora stated. “The choice-making is totally different. He could make performs left and proper. Yesterday that throw to second was on-point. The extra he performs there, the higher he’s going to be for us, and I feel on the finish he’s gonna play himself into being a Gold Glove left-fielder.”

Fenway Park’s distinctive dimensions additionally factored into the choice; Duran has extra expertise wrangling the Inexperienced Monster – or as Cora described it, “one of many weirdest left-fields within the sport” – than Campbell, who’s solely eight video games (one dwelling sport) into his main league profession.

“That got here into play,” Cora stated. “Simply considered it yesterday after the sport… I name up KC and I say, ‘Hey man, the place do you are feeling extra snug, in middle or left?’ He’s like, ‘Middle area.’ I’m like, shoot, may’ve solved this drawback a month in the past, proper? However that’s the fantastic thing about communication.”

Having Campbell within the outfield ensures additionally taking part in time for fellow infielder David Hamilton.

“We can not overlook about him,” Cora stated. “He’s necessary for us. He impacts the sport like nobody else within the base-path. He had an amazing spring, and we’re gonna discover at-bats for him.”