Red Sox second base outlook: Can Grissom break through in Boston?

Boston Red Sox spring training workouts are set to begin when pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers, Fla. on Feb. 14. Full squad workouts begin on Feb. 19.

Ahead of spring training, we're assessing the Red Sox's situation at each position for the 2024 campaign. We'll break down the players expected to play the position for Boston in 2024, followed by a confidence grade. These positional outlooks will be updated as moves are made in the offseason.

In this installment of the series, we focus on the second base position.

Vaughn Grissom

Earlier in the offseason, the Red Sox acquired Grissom from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for veteran left-hander Chris Sale. By doing so, they shed some payroll while addressing one of their biggest positional needs at second base.

Grissom was a top prospect in the Braves organization. The 23-year-old quickly rose through the minor-league ranks and made his big-league debut in 2022. He showed promise that season, slashing .291/.353/.440 with five home runs and 18 RBIs through 41 games with Atlanta -- almost all spent at second base.

During spring training the following year, Grissom appeared penciled in as the Braves' starting shortstop for 2023. However, with his defensive struggles at the position and Atlanta already boasting a formidable lineup, the club opted to keep Grissom in the minors and give the starting shortstop job to Orlando Arcia.

Grissom eventually reappeared in the big leagues to fill in for an injured Arcia but didn't see the same success he did a year prior. On top of his defensive shortcomings, he took a step back at the plate with a .659 OPS through 21 MLB games.

There is reason to believe Grissom can thrive with a fresh slate in Boston. He has proven to be a far better defender at second base and is coming off a Triple-A campaign in which he posted a .921 OPS. At one point, he put together a 45-game on-base streak.

"I think he's a serviceable second baseman. I think that's a great spot for him," Braves beat writer Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution told NBC Sports Boston after the Grissom deal. "I think he'll be good there. I think he's gonna take a couple leaps because we didn't see him in a ton of opportunities in the majors last season, so with that whole season in the minors and then winter ball in his offseason, I think there's a chance that he's gotten markedly better. ...

"He's going to give you solid defense at least and his bat's gonna be great," Toscano added. "I think he's really, really gonna shine in a full 162. I'm not gonna say he's gonna blow the doors off of anybody or blow away expectations, but I do think over 162 he's really gonna shine, because his numbers when he did get opportunities in Atlanta, especially in that second half of 2022, were terrific."

If Toscano's evaluation of Grissom's talent is accurate, Red Sox fans should be pleased with the improvements made to second base in 2024. But if Grissom can't carry his minor-league success into the majors, we could be looking at a revolving door at the position once again.

Enmanuel Valdez

The Red Sox acquired Valdez and outfielder Wilyer Abreu from the Houston Astros in exchange for veteran catcher Christian Vazquez before the 2022 trade deadline. It turned out to be one of the better moves of the Chaim Bloom era in Boston.

Valdez appeared in 49 games for Boston during his rookie 2023 season. The 25-year-old showcased his potential at the plate, slugging eight doubles and six homers while posting a .764 OPS. However, he was part of the team's problem at the position defensively.

Valdez made seven errors at second base for a .959 fielding percentage. He was one of 10 players to spend time at the position last year, joining Christian Arroyo, Luis Urías, Pablo Reyes, Yu Chang, Kiké Hernández, Justin Turner, Ceddanne Rafaela, David Hamilton, and Connor Wong. Heading into the 2024 season, he knows he needs to step up his defensive game to maintain a role with the big-league club.

“Obviously that’s my goal: to be a starting second baseman but I do know that in order for me to do that I have to improve my defense,” Valdez told MassLive.com in October. “I’ve gotta get better on defense. We have very good competition here between other guys. And I know if I want to break with the team and I want to stay, my defense needs to improve.”

Now that Grissom is in the fold, Valdez projects to open the season as a backup middle infielder. He'll need to earn a role with the team in spring training.

Pablo Reyes

In mid-May 2023, the Red Sox acquired Reyes from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations. The move came amid injuries and lackluster performances for the middle of Boston's infield.

Reyes figured to be nothing more than a depth addition who would spend most of his time at Triple-A Worcester. The 30-year-old couldn't find a consistent role on Oakland's roster, so he came to Boston with little to no expectations. He ended up making a legitimate impact.

His biggest moment came on Aug. 7 when he belted a walk-off grand slam vs. the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. He finished the year with a .716 OPS in 64 games while splitting time between second base and shortstop.

If Reyes makes the team in 2024, he'll pick up where he left off as a middle infield depth piece. He's a decent insurance policy if Grissom struggles or Trevor Story suffers another setback.

Second base confidence grade: C-

Relying on an inexperienced Vaughn Grissom to solve the second base issues is risky business. It could prove to be a genius move by new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, but Grissom's inconsistency at the big-league level indicates it could backfire. If Grissom struggles, Boston is back to square one with an uninspiring tandem of Valdez and Reyes.

While Grissom's potential breakout offers some intrigue, there's a strong chance second base is among the team's most glaring weaknesses again in 2024.