The Boston Red Sox have struggled since trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, going 3-5 on their West Coast road trip entering Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels.
Not surprisingly, the Red Sox offense has scuffled without its best hitter, averaging 3.25 runs per game without Devers compared to 4.84 runs per game with him.
A big reason for Boston’s funk is its failure to effectively replace Devers in the two-hole, which is supposed to be one of the most productive spots in the lineup.
According to Tyler Milliken of “98.5 The Sports Hub,” Red Sox No. 2 hitters are batting just .199/.262/.349 since Devers’ departure. Their .611 OPS is the third-worst in the Major Leagues during that time, while their 63 wRC+ is tied for the worst with the Texas Rangers.
That’s a far cry from Devers, who batted second in all 73 of Boston’s games before being dealt.
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Granted, all of the Red Sox’s games without Devers have been at pitching-friendly parks in San Francisco, Seattle and Anaheim. Those numbers will likely improve once they return home to Fenway Park, especially with the weather warming up.
Still, Boston needs to start getting more production from its No. 2 hitters if it wants to get the offense back on track. The Red Sox can’t afford to have a black hole there, especially if Jarren Duran remains in the leadoff spot.
Alex Cora has been tinkering with different batting orders since the Devers trade, trying Abraham Toro, Carlos Narváez, Roman Anthony and Duran there.
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However, none of them are natural fits for the role. Toro isn’t an everyday player, while Narváez and Anthony are both rookies. That’s putting a lot of pressure on them to help carry the lineup.
Duran makes more sense, but he’s better suited to the leadoff spot. If he bats second, who hits in front of him?
Wilyer Abreu deserves a look there, and Alex Bregman could bat second when he returns from the injured list. But until then, Cora must find a way to squeeze more offense out of such a critical position.
