The Boston Red Sox were on the receiving end of a 1-2 combo this past offseason, when Xander Bogaerts left in free agency and Trevor Story underwent elbow surgery that's expected to sideline him for most of 2023.
The blows didn't knock out the Red Sox, thanks in large to Kiké Hernández's defensive versatility and the arrival of Adam Duvall to bolster Boston's outfield. But the effects already are apparent less than two weeks into the season.
For the Red Sox, in a perfect world, Story would've slid over from second base and replaced Bogaerts at shortstop. Story spent six years as the Colorado Rockies' starting shortstop before transitioning to the keystone in 2022, his first season with Boston. While there were questions about Story's arm strength even before the elbow procedure, this would've allowed Hernández -- a super utility player -- to stick mostly in center fielder, where he shined defensively last season.
Instead, with Story sidelined, Hernández was forced back to the infield, with Masataka Yoshida (an offseason signing), Duvall and Alex Verdugo drawing most of the playing time in left field, center field and right field, respectively. And so far, the results haven't been great despite the Red Sox's 5-4 record.
Hernández exclusively played shortstop through Boston's first nine games. He's made a Major League Baseball-high five errors while ranking dead-last among 25 qualified shortstops in fielding percentage and FanGraphs' defense (Def) score. He's 24th in defensive runs saved (DRS) and tied for 21st in ultimate zone rating (UZR).
Obviously, this is an incredibly small sample size. Better results definitely could follow as Hernández acclimates himself to playing shortstop on a full-time basis. But the early struggles aren't lost on Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who offered a candid evaluation before Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
"It's moving fast on him right now," Cora told reporters, per MassLive. "I haven't talked to him, but I do believe that he's forgetting that he's probably one of the best athletes on the field and he's becoming very robotic out there. And then after that, he has to rush into his slot and all that stuff. And that's happened."
This isn't Hernández's first taste of shortstop. The 10-year veteran entered the season with 100 career games and over 600 innings at the position. He's played mostly the outfield since signing with Boston before the 2021 season, though, so there inherently was some risk associated with moving him to shortstop full-time with Story out.
"So, for him to slow it down. It's kind of like play free," Cora said, per MassLive. "The same way you play second or the same way you play center: attack the ball, get rid of it. One of his pluses is this and the accuracy of his arm. So, just go out there and be an athlete. I think he's been too cautious, too perfect from my eyes. Probably not, he'll tell you the opposite, but I do believe from where I'm standing and knowing the position kind of like he's been too robotic lately."
The true impact of Hernández's role change -- the product of Story's injury, on top of Bogaerts' departure -- is twofold. Because not only has the transition been shaky. It also prevents the Red Sox from deploying him at a position (center field) where he provided elite defense last season, and as a result, Boston's outfield, collectively, is worse for the wear.
The Red Sox's outfield entered Monday ranked 21st in defensive runs saved and 28th in ultimate zone rating. Again, small sample size. But Boston clearly is operating with a less-than-ideal defensive alignment, and it's already reflected in the analytics.
The injury Duvall suffered Sunday could further complicate matters, as well. Because while he's probably best suited for a corner-outfield spot, rather than center field (where he's been playing), he produced more than enough offensively through nine games to compensate for any defensive shortcomings. Now, the Red Sox might need to tap into their organizational outfield depth, without a clear-cut answer, while Boston's lineup loses more right-handed power, a trait already in short supply with Bogaerts playing in San Diego and Story likely out until the second half, at the earliest.
This isn't to say the Red Sox are doomed to fall face down on the mat, especially since pitching reinforcements are on the way in the form of Garrett Whitlock, Brayan Bello and James Paxton. But they're still deflecting punches with the 2023 campaign in full swing and fighting their way off the ropes won't be easy.
