Since it seems like it will be another week or two before things really get rolling this offseason, I thought it would be interesting to take the temperature of the board on the future of Kristian Campbell.
KC's meteoric rise through the system in 2024 reminds some of Mookie Betts and, needless to say, excitement has skyrocketed. His so far excellent right-handed bat adds much needed balance to otherwise lefty heavy skew of the other top prospects, and his ability to play all around the field in the minor leagues leaves many possible paths forward for Campbell and the rest of the roster.
So, not necessarily for this season but for 2026 and beyond, where does he play?
2B - the hole at second base has chewed up and spit out every player tried there since Pedroia's knees gave out. Grissom was injured/ineffective last year, Hamilton was decent but another lefty with little power, Valdez doesn't seem to have the bat to make up for his lack of defense, and Romy Gonzalez has injury and platoon concerns. I am still a believer in Grissom so I think he is the presumptive 2B going into spring training, but further injury or poor play may open this spot up for KC.
SS - It seems odd for a player to move back to shortstop after initially being moved down the defensive spectrum, but reports are the Sox feel KC's defense there is acceptable even if a little unorthodox. Story still plays good defense here but it is uncertain how long his bat can support a starting role. Mayer was long seen as the heir apparent, but adding another lefty bat is suboptimal, so he would likely be traded in this case.
3B - KC has not played third base much in the minors and it is unknown if he has the arm for the position, but the FO's rumored satisfaction with his defense at SS would seem to imply he could handle it. This would coincide with a Devers move to 1B/DH
OF - This is where I have been assuming KC will end up, specifically LF. He has mostly played CF in the minors, but I have a hard time seeing him there over Duran or even Anthony. A KC-Duran-Anthony-Rafaela outfield for the next 4+ years is what I dream about while falling asleep at night.
DH/SuperSub - An option to take advantage of his versatility is to make KC the nominal DH, but use his ability to play multiple positions (along with Rafaela) to rotate players through DH for half rest days.
On another team - KC is used as the centerpiece for a big trade.
AAA - Last year was an illusion, he will never make it in the big leagues.
KC's meteoric rise through the system in 2024 reminds some of Mookie Betts and, needless to say, excitement has skyrocketed. His so far excellent right-handed bat adds much needed balance to otherwise lefty heavy skew of the other top prospects, and his ability to play all around the field in the minor leagues leaves many possible paths forward for Campbell and the rest of the roster.
So, not necessarily for this season but for 2026 and beyond, where does he play?
2B - the hole at second base has chewed up and spit out every player tried there since Pedroia's knees gave out. Grissom was injured/ineffective last year, Hamilton was decent but another lefty with little power, Valdez doesn't seem to have the bat to make up for his lack of defense, and Romy Gonzalez has injury and platoon concerns. I am still a believer in Grissom so I think he is the presumptive 2B going into spring training, but further injury or poor play may open this spot up for KC.
SS - It seems odd for a player to move back to shortstop after initially being moved down the defensive spectrum, but reports are the Sox feel KC's defense there is acceptable even if a little unorthodox. Story still plays good defense here but it is uncertain how long his bat can support a starting role. Mayer was long seen as the heir apparent, but adding another lefty bat is suboptimal, so he would likely be traded in this case.
3B - KC has not played third base much in the minors and it is unknown if he has the arm for the position, but the FO's rumored satisfaction with his defense at SS would seem to imply he could handle it. This would coincide with a Devers move to 1B/DH
OF - This is where I have been assuming KC will end up, specifically LF. He has mostly played CF in the minors, but I have a hard time seeing him there over Duran or even Anthony. A KC-Duran-Anthony-Rafaela outfield for the next 4+ years is what I dream about while falling asleep at night.
DH/SuperSub - An option to take advantage of his versatility is to make KC the nominal DH, but use his ability to play multiple positions (along with Rafaela) to rotate players through DH for half rest days.
On another team - KC is used as the centerpiece for a big trade.
AAA - Last year was an illusion, he will never make it in the big leagues.