Marcelo Mayer isn’t having a fruitful time in his first full MLB season with the Boston Red Sox. Across 114 games, his slash line is .223/.278/.346, reflecting his struggles against offspeed pitches and with mounting defensive hurdles. Yet an insider feels Boston, already plagued by front-office dysfunction, managerial turbulence, and roster struggles, should not add to its troubles by sending Mayer away.  

“Stashing Mayer in Worcester for even a few weeks does nothing for the infielder or the team,” Sean McAdam wrote in his June 26 MassLive piece. “The Red Sox need to know by season’s end whether Mayer is part of the solution going forward. The only way to know that is by watching him play for the next three months.”

Mayer is currently slashing .220/.282/.312 with a .594 OPS. He was called up from Triple-A last year and played 44 games for the Red Sox, recording 20 runs, including 4 homers, while striking out 41 times. This year, he has played 70 games so far and has somehow reduced his strikeout rate. But his other numbers have gone down as well. 

He started the season as a second baseman but later shifted to shortstop after Trevor Story suffered a sports hernia in late May. That turned out to be even more counterproductive for the 23-year-old. Mayer’s numbers went from +2 to -4 DRS. 

“Some question his mental toughness and his tendency to withdraw during slumps,” McAdams wrote. “Others wonder if he couldn’t do a better job making himself more available through the day-to-day minor physical setbacks that inevitably occur.”

Mayer has hardly stepped up for Boston whenever it needs him. However, with 13 games behind a .500 record, the Red Sox are not likely to get in contention. Hence, it is better to offer him more time in the majors and evaluate him properly.

Notably, Mayer was the No. 4 overall pick and was batting at .273 with a .826 OPS. He is young, and the franchise should have a little more patience, given that this is a lost season for them. But they might already have another option. 

Mayer is in for a rough ride

A viable option for the Red Sox could be top-10 prospect Franklin Arias. His stats say everything: a .325 batting average, a .982 OPS, 14 HRs, and solid defensive skills. But that’s for the future because he is still slugging in Double-A. And Arias’ rise wouldn’t accelerate Mayer’s exit. 

Marcelo has never had it easy. He was a favorite earlier this season, but the then-manager made it clear that he had to earn his spot on the roster. And his baserunning mistake in late April didn’t make it any easier. In fact, Alex Cora criticized him after Boston couldn’t advance from bases loaded and lost 10-3 to the Baltimore Orioles. 

“The way it ended, we’ve got to be better than that. We cannot make those mistakes. They know it. We’ve got a bunch of kids who are learning the game.”

It’s been two months since then, but Mayer’s numbers haven’t significantly improved. But he has become more responsible. He took accountability for a costly error that cost the Red Sox the final game against the Colorado Rockies this Wednesday. 

“To me, that’s the most routine ground ball I can possibly get. This game’s 100 percent on me.” 

Since Mayer is just 23, and given how much they have invested in him, the Red Sox should give him a chance to prove himself. Boston’s next game is against the Yankees, and they need to decide whether they can find a solution with Mayer.