When the Boston Red Sox dealt Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves in a one-for-one trade that netted infielder Vaughn Grissom back in Dec. 2023, it looked like the team had acquired a young and controllable piece who could make an immediate impact in manager Alex Cora’s starting lineup.
But things didn’t quite workout that way after Grissom spent much of the 2024 season sidelined by injuries. And after batting .190 in 31 games with the Red Sox, Grissom spent much of last season waiting for another opportunity after being optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Meanwhile, Sale went on to win his first Cy Young Award in a resurgent season on the mound with the Braves.
And while that trade hasn’t worked out well for the Red Sox to date, Grissom is still only 24 years old and only a few seasons removed from being one of the top prospects in MLB. And despite losing the starting second base job in spring training to American League Rookie of the Year favorite Kristian Campbell and being optioned to Worcester, Grissom could force his way back to the big leagues after getting off to a strong start with the WooSox.
Vaughn Grissom’s hot start, increased versatility could foreshadow Red Sox call-up
Despite being overshadowed by Red Sox top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer in the Worcester lineup, Grissom has quietly put together a strong start to his 2025 season. Now fully healthy for the first time since arriving in the Red Sox organization, Grissom is slashing .359/.414/.609 with a 1.023 OPS with seven doubles, three homers and 10 RBI in 16 games.
Even with the hot start at Worcester, Grissom still doesn’t have a clear path back to the big leagues with Campbell currently hitting .302 and earning the bulk of the starts at second base. But with super-utility man David Hamilton currently batting a paltry .083, and Campbell earning the occasional start in center field, Grissom could find his way back to a major league role if the team loses patience with Hamilton’s early-season struggles.
But Grissom might have found another way to return to the Red Sox this year after making his first start of the season at third base with Worcester on April 11. Alex Cora is a big proponent of positional versatility, so giving Grissom a look at the hot corner shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. And despite making a fielding error in the fifth inning, Grissom could be in line to make more starts at third base if the Red Sox are searching for ways to increase his trade value.
That’s speculation, of course, but looking at the bigger picture, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if the Red Sox can find a taker for Grissom if Campbell is locked in at second base for the rest of the season.
