The Pink Sox are buying infielder Caleb Durbin from the Brewers, studies Jeff Passan of ESPN. Milwaukee receives a three-player bundle together with lefties Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan in addition to infielder David Hamilton, Passan provides. Boston can be choosing up infielder Andruw Monasterio, catcher/infielder Anthony Seigler and a Aggressive Stability Spherical B decide, per Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Durbin is a notable pickup for the Boston infield and ought to be penciled in for on a regular basis at-bats — presumably at third base, although he may deal with second base if the Pink Sox choose Marcelo Mayer on the scorching nook from a defensive standpoint. The 25-year-old Durbin (26 in a pair weeks) completed third in Nationwide League Rookie of the Yr voting in 2025 after he batted .256/.334/.387 with 11 dwelling runs, 25 doubles, 18 steals (24 makes an attempt), a 5.9% stroll fee and a tiny 9.9% strikeout fee. He turned in above-average marks for his glovework at third within the estimation of each Defensive Runs Saved (5) and Outs Above Common (2).
He’s not the large middle-of-the-order presence many Sox followers have coveted, however Durbin is an inexpensive, controllable and versatile defender who’ll additional the Pink Sox’ pivot towards run prevention and assist to decrease a group strikeout fee that was Tenth-highest within the sport final yr at 22.9%. He’s a right-handed hitter whose pull share (43.3%) is a bit increased than league common (40.6%), which ought to play nicely with the Inexperienced Monster at Fenway Park. Durbin involves the Pink Sox with 5 full seasons of membership management and two minor league possibility years remaining (not that there’ll be any considered optioning him to the minors anytime quickly after final yr’s sturdy efficiency).
If Durbin is ticketed for the recent nook, that’ll depart second base to a mix of the left-handed-hitting Mayer and righty-swinging Romy Gonzalez. Not too long ago signed utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa can again up each these positions in addition to shortstop.
The 28-year-old Monasterio might additionally think about at both second or third base, though like Gonzalez and Kiner-Falefa, he’s a right-handed hitter. As is the case with Gonzalez, Monasterio additionally carries notable platoon splits. He’s a profession .255/.352/.375 batter in opposition to lefties however a .246/.303/.338 hitter in opposition to fellow righties. He’s coming off a career-best exhibiting within the majors — albeit in a restricted pattern of 135 plate appearances — having slashed .270/.319/.437 (111 wRC+) with 4 homers. He’s controllable for one more 4 seasons and gained’t be arbitration-eligible till at the very least subsequent offseason (probably later, relying on how a lot time he spends within the minors this yr).
Monasterio additionally has practically 3500 skilled innings at shortstop beneath his belt, so he provides Boston one other backup choice to oft-injured Trevor Story at shortstop (alongside Kiner-Falefa). He additionally has a full slate of three minor league possibility years remaining, so there’s no assure he’ll open the season on Boston’s main league roster. He’ll have the chance to win a job in camp, however barring damage and/or commerce, Boston’s bench appears more likely to embrace Gonzalez, Kiner-Falefa, catcher Connor Wong and outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida.
All of that assumes that Mayer makes the Opening Day roster, however it’s attainable that the previous No. 4 general decide might open the season in Triple-A Worcester, too. Mayer’s .228/.272/.402 slash was nicely beneath league-average in 2025, however he solely turned 23 in December and has a powerful minor league observe document. That features a .271/.347/.471 exhibiting in Triple-A final yr. He’ll have each alternative to win a beginning job in camp with the Pink Sox, however late additions of Durbin and Kiner-Falefa reduce the group’s reliance on the nonetheless largely untested prime prospect.
Boston additionally picks up the 26-year-old Seigler, who’ll present some depth within the higher minors and may very well be a continuously used bench piece over the course of the approaching season. He’s batted simply .194/.292/.210 in an insignificant pattern of 73 main league plate appearances, however Seigler hit .285/.414/.478 with eight homers, 16 doubles, 4 triples, 23 steals (27 makes an attempt), a 16.9% stroll fee and a 19.2% strikeout fee in 307 Triple-A plate appearances this previous season. He’s been used as an infielder (second base, particularly) much more continuously than a catcher in latest seasons as a consequence of troubles controlling the run recreation and a susceptibility to handed balls.
Even when he’s not often deployed behind the plate, Seigler is on the very least an attention-grabbing third catcher possibility who is also snug at second base and third base. He has two minor league possibility years remaining and doesn’t also have a full season of main league service, making him controllable for at the very least the subsequent six full seasons.
Extra to come back.
