2023 has been a tough year for the Red Sox. Heading into the offseason, there's going to be roster changes, which leaves some players on thin ice.
The Boston Red Sox, by many standards, have had a rather decent season. They're 6 games above .500 and ranked higher than the rival Yankees. But the Red Sox are in a bit of a tough situation this year. Boston is stuck in the loaded American League East, where they're ranked fourth in the division.
That also leaves them a few games out of an AL Wild Card spot, where they've dropped well below their own expectations. The season would be a complete failure if they are to miss the postseason. If they are to miss the postseason, a few players could be on thin ice heading into the offseason.
Alex Verdugo finds himself on thin ice down the stretch of 2023
There's no questioning the ability that Alex Verdugo has shown on the field as a member of the Boston Red Sox. The outfielder has shown over the course of his 4-year career in Boston that he can contribute at the top of the lineup, but recently, he's struggled quite a bit. During the month of August, he slashed .151/.232/.247 with 3 extra base hits in over 70 at bats. So far in August, he was able to figure things out a bit better than July, but still worse than expected. On the month, he's 8 for 33 with an OPS near .700.
The issue with Verdugo has begun with off the field issues. Recently, he was benched by Manager Alex Cora for being late to a game, which could come off as disrespectful to the team as a whole. This kind of behavior will absolutely lead to him being on the hot seat for the rest of the year. If he doesn't get his act together, he'll likely be a trade piece for the Red Sox in the offseason or next year, especially when you consider that his contract expires after next year. It's safe to say that Verdugo will be on thin ice for the rest of the 2023 season.
Joe Jacques' future is in doubt with the Red Sox after a tough beginning to the second half
Joe Jacques appears to be almost everything that a team could want in terms of a lefty specialist relief pitcher. He throws from a low, funky arm slot and throws a sweeping slider that should terrorize lefties. However, the truth is far different than what many would think. In fact, Jacques hasn't been good against lefties, he's been terrible against southpaws.
On the season, left-handed hitters hold a slash line of .448/.467/.793 while also totaling 5 extra base hits in less than 30 at bats. According to Baseball Savant, his sweeping slider is allowing a batting average of .429 on the year. These numbers are completely unheard of for lefty relievers and potentially defeats most of his role on any team unless he gets this under control.
Since July 18, Jacques has allowed 7 earned runs in 7.1 innings, leading to an ERA near 9 in that stretch. He's likely playing the rest of the season on incredibly thin ice, especially considering that he's already been moved to Triple-A this season. If he gets another shot with the Red Sox this season, it'll come with a ton of pressure to perform or else he may not get the call back up to the big leagues for the foreseeable future.
Red Sox: Marcelo Mayer's looming debut leaves Luis Urias on thin ice
There have been a lot of question marks around the Red Sox infield this year, especially after trading Kike Hernandez at the deadline. They acquired Luis Urias at the deadline to replace him and Christian Arroyo, who was designated for assignment a few weeks ago. But Urias hasn't exactly been what the Red Sox thought he would be when they acquired him.
Urias has 2 more years of team control following this season, but there really doesn't appear to be a place for him in the Red Sox infield if he continues to struggle. The corners of the infield are locked up by Rafael Devers and Triston Casas for the foreseeable future. Pablo Reyes has shown real promise this season as a 29-year-old (.313/.355/.404 slash line). The biggest piece that could be a problem for Urias is the top prospect, Marcelo Mayer.
Mayer is the best prospect in the Red Sox system and the 11th ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. If he plays to his potential and develops well in the offseason, he could be the shortstop in Boston as soon as next year. This idea puts a ton of pressure on Urias and leaves him on thin ice through the rest of the year.