The Purple Sox made a giant funding in Ceddanne Rafaela final season, extending the teenager on an eight-year, $50MM deal in April. On the time, he had simply 38 MLB video games below his belt. They weren’t probably the most profitable 38 video games, both. Rafaela had a .672 OPS and 76 wRC+ with an abysmal 6:37 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Regardless of his blistering velocity, he solely had 4 stolen bases to that time, and he had already been caught stealing twice. But, his elite defensive capabilities should have helped the Purple Sox look previous his struggles on the opposite facet of the ball.
Rafaela was lengthy praised for his outfield protection as a prospect, and he lived as much as the hype within the majors. By the top of the 2024 season, he had racked up 12 Defensive Runs Saved and a +7 Fielding Run Worth in simply 748.0 profession innings as a middle fielder. On the one hand, now we have to watch out when defensive metrics in such a small pattern measurement. Alternatively, if Rafaela might maintain these numbers up over a full season of labor, he’d be among the best fielders within the sport.
As if his efficiency in middle discipline weren’t spectacular sufficient, Rafaela has additionally appeared in 87 video games at shortstop, 14 video games at second base, and 4 video games at third in his temporary MLB tenure. He had loads of infield expertise within the minors. Actually, he started his professional profession as a full-time infielder in 2018 and didn’t play the outfield till 2021. Nonetheless, he took to middle discipline so naturally that it quickly grew to become his major place. By the point he made his MLB debut, it appeared protected to say he was a full-time middle fielder.
However not so quick. As Trevor Story spent important time on the IL in 2023 and ’24, the Purple Sox wanted assist in the infield. Rafaela began 5 video games at shortstop throughout his temporary massive league cup of espresso in 2023. The next yr, the Purple Sox quickly named him their major shortstop when Story went down with a shoulder harm in early April. He ended up taking part in extra shortstop than any place and extra shortstop than anybody else on Boston’s roster.
Rafaela’s versatility proved to be invaluable to the Purple Sox in 2024. Sadly, it shortly grew to become clear that he wasn’t greater than a backup plan at brief. His protection on the place was poor in response to nearly each accessible metric. Over 692.0 profession innings at shortstop from 2023-24, Rafaela has made six fielding errors and 4 throwing errors. He has -3 Defensive Runs Saved and a -8 Fielding Run Worth. As soon as once more, it’s vital to take defensive metrics in a small pattern measurement with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, it’s not possible to not discover the world of distinction between Rafaela’s efficiency in middle discipline and at shortstop.
With that in thoughts, it was hardly controversial when Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow instructed reporters (together with Sean McAdam of MassLive) that the Purple Sox plan to maintain Rafaela in middle discipline “as a lot as potential.” With Rafaela in middle full-time, the Purple Sox might play 2024 Gold Glove finalist Jarren Duran in left discipline and 2024 Gold Glove winner Wilyer Abreu in proper, giving them, maybe, the very best defensive outfield within the sport. But, McAdam raises the query of what Boston will do as soon as star prospect Roman Anthony is prepared for the majors. That shouldn’t take lengthy, contemplating Anthony put up a .982 OPS and a 162 wRC+ in 35 video games at Triple-A final season. Neither Anthony nor Duran is sort of as proficient as Rafaela in middle discipline, however each can play the place. Extra to the purpose, Rafaela has proven far much less promise on the plate. Duran has an .832 OPS and a 126 wRC+ over the previous two seasons, whereas Anthony has spent the final two years tearing up the minor leagues. Equally, Abreu has a .794 OPS and a 117 wRC+ over 160 MLB video games. Regardless of how robust Rafaela’s protection is perhaps, his .664 OPS and 79 wRC+ in 180 profession video games pale compared to these numbers.
Regardless of a possible logjam within the outfield, Breslow made it clear that the Purple Sox don’t need Rafaela taking part in the infield (per McAdam). That’s not precisely a surprising revelation. In spite of everything, Rafael Devers has third base on lock, and Story must be the full-time shortstop so long as he’s wholesome. Boston doesn’t have a assured starter at second base, however David Hamilton was a stronger offensive participant and a greater infield defender than Rafaela in 2024. Vaughn Grissom has but to indicate that he’s prepared for normal taking part in time, however he’s nonetheless younger, and presumably, the Purple Sox want to give him an opportunity to show himself after an injury-plagued 2024 marketing campaign.
Finally, nonetheless, this isn’t actually concerning the different choices within the infield. Merely put, the Purple Sox need Rafaela to deal with the place the place he’s most dear. Certainly, Breslow thinks that shifting between the infield and the outfield might need hampered his efficiency in each spots: “I’m unsure we noticed the very best of him even defensively due to the truth that he was switching forwards and backwards between middle and shortstop.”
It’s onerous to argue with Breslow’s logic. On the identical time, it’s value questioning what the Purple Sox plan to do with Rafaela as soon as Anthony calls for a promotion. Equally, it’s value questioning what this implies about Boston’s purported pursuit of a right-handed bat. May a barely crowded outfield image forestall Breslow from including the righty bat his lineup so badly wants?
The best reply is that Rafaela can tackle a fourth outfielder position if/when he finds himself squeezed out of the beginning lineup. He is also the brief facet of a platoon with Abreu, who struggles towards southpaws. As well as, it’s not as if Breslow utterly closed the door on Rafaela returning to the infield. Maybe if Story suffers one other harm, Rafaela shall be again on the grime in spite of everything. A task like which may not be what the Purple Sox had in thoughts once they signed him to a $50MM contract, nevertheless it’s not as if his $1.25MM wage for the 2025 season is an overpay for a Gold Glove-caliber bench participant. Possibly Boston will ultimately attempt to commerce an outfielder, however there’s no purpose to assume they’re in a rush to get Rafaela – or Duran, Abreu, or Anthony – off their fingers. Moreover, Anthony isn’t even on the 40-man but, and there’s lots that might occur to have an effect on Rafaela’s potential position between now and Opening Day.
Picture courtesy of Imagn.
