​  
To say that Marcelo Mayer’s first full major league season has been a disappointment would be an understatement.
Mayer entered Thursday’s game with a paltry .605 OPS, having hit just three homers. Since Trevor Story went down with a sports hernia, Mayer has become the everyday shortstop, but his defensive metrics are under water with -2 defensive runs saved.

Clearly, the Red Sox expected more from the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
All of which has led to some chatter that perhaps Mayer would benefit from a return to Triple-A, where he could figure out his swing and build some confidence.
Mayer wouldn’t be the first player to have to take a step backward in order to move forward. Mike Trout and Alex Rodriguez are just two players who survived being optioned before restarting their big league careers.
But it makes far more sense for Mayer to remain with the Red Sox for the rest of the year.
It’s obvious that this is a lost season for the Red Sox, with no hope of a turnaround that puts them back in contention. At (almost) the halfway point, the Red Sox are who they are.

That’s why they should spend 80 or so games determining what they have and upon on whom they can count in the future. Stashing Mayer in Worcester for even a few weeks does nothing for the infielder or the team.
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.
If Mayer isn’t the starting shortstop the rest of the way, the Red Sox’ options at the position are: Anthony Seigler, Andruw Monasterio, Story (when he returns) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (when he comes off the IL).
Seigler is an up-and-down, 4A player. Monasterio is a major league depth piece, but no one’s idea of an everyday player. Story is 33 and injury-prone. In five seasons with the Red Sox, Story has been a below-average (93 OPS+) offensive performer and isn’t about to become any more durable. As for Kiner-Falefa, he signed here with the idea of serving as a versatile infield defender and that’s the role for which he’s best suited.

Giving any of them — with the possible exception of Story, widely respected by teammates — playing time over Mayer is nonsensical.
Down the road, there are other intriguing options for the position, led by Franklin Arias, who is now seen as a Top 10 prospect in the game. Arias is viewed as a plus defender and this year at Double A Portland has shown the ability to drive the ball, with 14 homers and a .580 slugging percentage despite an average frame.
It may well be that Arias and not Mayer is the Red Sox’ shortstop of the future. But there’s no rush to make that call especially since Arias has yet to reach Triple A, much less Boston. And given how much a number of prospects have struggled to meet expectations upon reaching the big leagues the last few years — Mayer, Kristian Campbell and Roman Anthony among them — there’s value in slow-playing Arias’s promotion.
To be sure, Mayer has his detractors within the organization. Some question his mental toughness and his tendency to withdraw during slumps. 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.

Those are the expectations that come with being a Top 5 pick with all the praise and attention that goes with that designation.
As for the disappointing on-field performance, it’s worth noting how much development time Mayer lost along the way in the minor leagues. Each of his last four pro seasons, including his rookie debut with Boston last year, was cut short by injuries. He lost the equivalent of about a season and a half, which may partly explain his current struggles.
The Red Sox have the rest of the year to figure out how — or if — Mayer fits into their future. They should use the time wisely.
For all the underachievement, Mayer is still just 23. Given the investment they’ve made in him, he deserves some additional time to make the case for himself.

In the meantime, every inning in which a spare part or utility player gets innings at shortstop over Mayer represents a wasted opportunity.
Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
      ​Read More