If the SF Giants do, in fact, bring up Marcelo Mayer ahead of their three-game series against the Boston Red Sox, the first question isn’t whether he’ll be in the lineup. It’s where they’ll put him.
Mayer’s arrival would make for a strange few days all around. The Red Sox once envisioned him as part of the young core that would eventually help carry them back to the playoffs after selecting him with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft. Boston could still reach the playoffs as soon as this year, but Mayer won’t be part of that run.
Instead, he’s headed to San Francisco after a trade that sent Erik Miller and outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez to Boston.
Mayer was already working his way back when the deal happened. The left-handed bat was coming off a forearm injury and had started ramping up baseball activity. His rehab assignment with the Sacramento River Cats got off to a loud start when he homered in his first game back.
In total, Mayer posted six hits, including that homer, and drove in three runs in 17 at-bats for Sacramento. He was out of Wednesday’s lineup, which could be read as a sign that the assignment is finished and that he’s on his way to join the Giants.
For San Francisco, the timing lines up neatly with the current state of the infield. Injuries to Matt Chapman and Casey Schmitt, along with the Luis Arráez trade, have opened a path to meaningful playing time. The Giants want a real look at Mayer before the season ends, and they’d like that evaluation to start this weekend if everything breaks right.
The bigger question is how they deploy him once he gets there. His rehab work points to second base as the most likely landing spot. In four games in the infield with Sacramento, Mayer started three times at second and once at third.
That setup gives the Giants options without forcing them into a puzzle. There’s room at both spots, and Mayer’s minor league résumé suggests he can handle more than one role. He has spent most of his time at shortstop in the minors, but Willy Adames is already covering that position.
Adames’ defense has been a noticeable problem this season, and injury has likely played a part in that. At this point, it’s fair to wonder how much more the Giants can ask him to keep grinding through every day. Mayer could help lighten that load and give Adames a little extra rest as the season winds down.
San Francisco doesn’t need to make this more complicated than it is. If Mayer hits enough to make the Giants believe he can help next year, they’ll carve out the at-bats and innings wherever they can find them.
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