The Boston Red Sox face plenty of uncertainty in their infield this offseason, but that might not stop them from moving on from an underperforming veteran.
While the team has an abundance of talented outfielders under contract and plenty of choices for next season’s lineup, the infield remains a major question mark. Alex Bregman is expected to opt out of his deal, and Trevor Story’s future is still unclear. On the positive side, Boston has promising young players like Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell ready to contribute at second base, and Triston Casas is slated to return after missing most of the year with a season-ending injury.
Even with so many uncertainties, the Red Sox will soon need to finalize their 40-man roster for the winter. After that, they can still make changes as the offseason progresses, potentially cutting ties with struggling players. One name reportedly on the bubble is infielder David Hamilton.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Hamilton is a strong candidate to be removed from Boston’s 40-man roster—either via trade or by being designated for assignment—after a disappointing season that saw his performance decline significantly.
“The club then needs to reinstate nine players … from the 60-day IL, which doesn’t exist in the offseason,” Cotillo wrote Tuesday. “That means there will likely be 41 players for 40 spots. The Red Sox will then need to make a cut to fit everyone on.
“There are some depth options on the roster who are candidates to be designated for assignment, like lefty Jovani Morán and righty Josh Winckowski. Eventually, as winter additions are made, the roster spots of guys like … David Hamilton and others could become tenuous.”
David Hamilton proved to be a reliable contributor in a limited role for the Red Sox last season, posting a .248/.303/.395 slash line with eight home runs and 28 RBIs over 98 games. However, his production took a steep decline this year, as he hit just .198 and failed to make the same impact. With several roster decisions looming this offseason, Boston may choose to move on from the 28-year-old infielder given his struggles at the plate.
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