September is about to bring the usual roster squeeze, and for the Red Sox, it also brings a chance to keep two useful pieces around when the active roster grows from 26 to 28 players.
Boston is getting closer to welcoming back Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, which means somebody is going to have to move when those reinforcements arrive. Anthony Seigler, Mickey Gasper, Nick Sogard and Andruw Monasterio are the likeliest candidates to be optioned, but Monasterio is the one player who appears safe after interim manager Chad Tracy said he would still get infield playing time once Story and Kiner-Falefa return.
That leaves Seigler, Gasper and Sogard in the mix, and the Red Sox should keep Gasper and Sogard when the September 1 expansion comes.
The case for Gasper is pretty straightforward. He gives Boston real flexibility because he can handle multiple infield spots and also catch, which adds another layer of insurance behind the plate if Adley Rutschman or Connor Wong were to get hurt. Seigler has catching experience too, but Gasper has already caught 13 games in the majors this season.
He’s also giving the Red Sox a burst of offense at the right time. Since his August 16 call-up, Gasper has homered three times, driven in eight runs and posted a .700 slugging percentage over his last seven games.
Seigler has been hot as well, putting together a .389/.455/.556 line over his last seven games, but he has not homered since July 24. Gasper’s power has only recently shown up, but Boston needs every bit of it.
Sogard’s value looks different, but it’s just as important. He has only one major league home run in his career, yet he keeps forcing his way into the conversation because he simply makes enough contact and works enough counts to matter.
Over 32 games, he has drawn 20 walks against 23 strikeouts. His 14.7 walk percentage is among the best in MLB this year, and he has done a strong job avoiding chases with a 22.1 chase percentage.
Together, Gasper and Sogard give Boston a mix of offense and defensive versatility that fits what the roster needs as the season enters its final stretch. If the Red Sox choose to option Seigler, it would be easy to understand the hesitation after what he did during the team’s torrid midsummer run. Even so, Gasper and Sogard look like the better fits for what Boston needs now.
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In a recent interview, Devers addressed the aftermath in a way he had not before, saying the experience forced him to mature and take something from it. For the Red Sox, that makes the exit more than just a roster decision, because it also closes the book on a player who seems to view the separation as part of his growth, even as the details of what changed behind the scenes continue to hang over the story. [Read more 🡒]