Bobby Dalbec Committed To Finding Success Despite Red Sox Uncertainty

BOSTON — Bobby Dalbec knows he isn’t going to be gifted any more opportunities at this stage of his tenure with the Red Sox.

He has to earn them.

Dalbec is still just 28 but has lived multiple baseball lives since first arriving at Fenway Park in 2020. It looked like he could be the future at first base as he slugged his was through that first summer, but he’s been on a steady decline ever since. Dalbec has been a starter, a platoon player, the last guy on the bench and a Triple-A depth option over the last few seasons.

It’s pretty damn difficult to find consistency under such circumstances, but that’s where he’s at during this stage of his career — and where he should be given his recent production.

The Red Sox essentially have Dalbec in an emergency bench role. He sticks around in Boston when injuries pile up, like they have with Triston Casas, Romy Gonzalez and Vaughn Grissom all being shelved for the time being. He’s been given select opportunities at first base, and although he’s mostly spelling Dom Smith every third day or so, he’s doing everything in his power to stay confident.

“I believe in my ability,” Dalbec told NESN.com on Saturday. “I know the consistency isn’t there — and the numbers are just starting to show up — but I understand the moves in the lineup changes and everything. I’ve got no grief with any of that, as long as I stay confident in my ability.

“… It’s different when I’m playing every day. I have that rhythm down, but I feel good about my work every day — and once my eyes get dialed in, I feel like that will help a lot. I know I’m gonna strike out a little bit, but this is not who I am as a player. It sucks… I’m just going to continue to work hard and continue to advocate for myself.”

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Boston gave him a vote of confidence when it designated Garrett Cooper for assignment last week, but that doesn’t ensure protection moving forward. It’s paramount he continues earning his spot on the roster.

Dalbec believes the root of his problems (and the solution to them) stem from his vision — something he’s tried numerous times to correct. It started with a visit to an ophthalmologist, who suggested he wear glasses at the plate.

If you’ve checked out the numbers recently, you’d know that didn’t work, so Dalbec decided to ditch the spectacles this week and go back to what helped him reach this point in the first place.

“I’ve dealt with some vision things last year that have created some bad habits,” Dalbec said. “I’m starting to get that dialed in, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m just looking to get back to being myself… I don’t think glasses were the right call for me. It changed the way I saw the ball, it averted my eyes away from the ball. It’s the classic saying, ‘fix your eyes, fix your swing,’ but it isn’t going to happen overnight. I’m trying to contribute to winning in any way I can.”

Dalbec knows that no matter what he does over the coming weeks, it might not be enough. Casas is nearing a return, which means 80% of the at-bats available at first base are about to go away.

It won’t stop the way he’s approaching this latest run in Boston, though.

“I don’t know if I’m going to stay here all year,” he admitted. “It’s part of the game. We’re trying to win, so I need to earn the organization’s trust to throw me back in there every day. It’s a simple way to put it, but I trust myself. I trust my abilities, and obviously, things at the plate haven’t gone well by any means, but I feel like I’ve found ways to help the team win whether it shows in the box score or not.”