Boston Red Sox
“If we get this [offense] back, we can find at-bats. That’s his tool — offense.”
Kristian Campbell is entering another spring training with the Red Sox in a proverbial no-man’s land.
The former blue-chip prospect had an impressive start to the 2025 season — breaking camp in the big leagues, signing an eight-year, $60 million contract extension, and winning AL Rookie of the Month in April.
But, Campbell regressed as the season went on, struggling defensively at second base while laboring at the plate. He was eventually sent back down to Triple-A Worcester in June and did not return to The Show for the rest of the year.
The road won’t get any easier for Campbell in 2026. Even with the 23-year-old slugger still boasting plenty of potential, he doesn’t have a clear avenue toward regular playing time with Boston.
Campbell’s days as a second baseman are likely over, with the Red Sox opening the year with Marcelo Mayer, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Caleb Durbin as options at second.
Speaking to reporters in Fort Myers on Tuesday, Alex Cora confirmed that the Red Sox plan on primarily playing Campbell in the outfield moving forward, be it in Boston or Worcester.
“He’s going to play mostly outfield,” Cora told reporters, including MassLive’s Chris Smith. “But we cannot forget about the infield part of it because you never know what can happen … All his work will be in the outfield. Individual work will be with [infield coordinator José Flores] whenever. That’s what we’re doing.”
Campbell’s defense was poor at second this past season, as he posted a minus-16 defensive runs saved with Boston.
Campbell likely won’t be a plus defender in the outfield, but Cora stressed that Campbell’s true value is reflected in his production at the plate. He batted .313 with eight doubles, four home runs, and 12 RBI over his first 28 games with Boston before his offense plummeted.
“Last year, he made a team because we thought he was going to hit,” Cora told Smith. “He hit a little bit. And then he struggled and he knows it. And now it’s just a matter of hopefully the adjustments he made and the suggestions that we gave him can translate in between the lines. In the cage, in BP, it looks great. Now we have to do it in the game.”
Even if Campbell does regain his form after last year’s extended slump, the Red Sox still have a logjam in the outfield, with four outfielders — Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela — in place for just three starting spots.
Campbell could be a viable option at DH, but one of those four outfielders will likely slot into that spot in the lineup, along with Masataka Yoshida.
“If we get this [offense] back, we can find at-bats,” Cora told Smith of Campbell’s fit. “That’s his tool — offense. And for a month there, we were very excited. Then the league caught up with him. It took us a while to make adjustments, but he’s in a good spot now. … It’s a different setup. The mindset is still the same: Hit the ball hard.”
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