glennhoffmania said:
How many teams carry two utility guys?
A better question might be how many teams would carry two utility guys if they could. Your comment implies that a utility guy isn't as good to have as a less positionally flexible guy. I'd argue that more positional flexibility is better, if you're getting equal (or better) offensive production.
Last year, the Sox' "utility guy" Brock Holt provided 2.3 fWAR / 2.1 bWAR in 492 PAs. All the projection systems are looking for a regression to the mean for this season, but they're all in the 1+ WAR area. On the other hand, Allen Craig, for instance, is projected for less than 1 WAR in all the systems. Again, I don't want to turn this into an Allen Craig discussion. The point is, labeling Brock Holt as just a "utility guy," and assuming that since the team has one utility guy it shouldn't have another, isn't considering the full picture. I think what a baseball team wants is productive baseball players who do things to help the team win. If Player A is more productive than Player B, the team should want Player A. If Player A also happens to be able to play all the positions that Player B can play, and a few additional positions, all the better. Brock Holt is projected to be a more productive player this season than Allen Craig. So what if he's a "utility guy"?
Anyway, here's a view of the depth chart of the current 25-man roster. EB is emergency back-up, as in the circumstances would be very unusual for that player to have to fill that role.
C: (1) Hanigan, (2) Leon, (EB) Holt?
1B: (1) Napoli, (2/3) Craig/Nava (depending on RHP/LHP), (4) Holt, (5) Ortiz
2B: (1) Pedroia, (2) Holt, (EB) Betts
SS: (1) Bogaerts, (2) Holt, (EB) Ramirez
3B: (1) Sandoval, (2) Holt, (EB) Ramirez
LF: (1) Ramirez, (2/3) Craig/Nava (depending on RHP/LHP), (4) Holt
CF: (1) Betts, (2) Holt, (EB) Victorino
RF: (1) Victorino, (2/3) Craig/Nava (depending on RHP/LHP), (4) Holt