Red Sox Drop Veteran Slugger Just Ahead of Fenway Opening Day

Getty Red Sox infielder Bobby Dalbec is heading back to the minors.

Well, that’s not how things were supposed to go for the Red Sox’s Bobby Dalbec. But a poorly timed slump, an injury and an unlikely surge from a veteran minor-leaguer has nudged Boston into sending Dalbec back down to Triple-A Worcester, just two weeks after it appeared that he’d avoided that fate. Adding a bit of salt to the wound—Dalbec is being sent down the day before the Red Sox celebrate their home Opening Day on Tuesday afternoon.

In his place, according to multiple reports, will be shortstop Romy Gonzalez, who was picked up as a free agent from the White Sox in January.

It’s a disheartening situation for Dalbec, whose roster spot appeared to be in trouble during Spring Training when the Red Sox signed veteran slugger CJ Cron. But the team liked the work Dalbec had done as an outfielder with Worcester in 2023, and preferred his versatility (he can play first base and DH as well as outfield) to Cron (first base and DH only). Cron was cut just ahead of Opening Day.

Bobby Dalbec Slugged 25 Homers in 2021

Dalbec was once a promising Red Sox slugger himself, knocking 25 home runs in his second big-league season in 2021. But he struggled with strikeouts and even during his breakout year, he batted only .240. Turns out, that was a high-water mark. His average dropped to .215 the following year, and his power numbers sank. Dalbec has never really been a factor as a Red Sox regular since.

Dalbec spent most of the 2023 season in Triple-A, where he hit .269 with 33 home runs and 79 RBIs, spending 72 games playing in the outfield and 43 games at third base in an effort to make him a power-hitting utility player off the bench. Again, that’s why he beat out Cron for a roster spot.

It helped that Dalbec hit three homers during Spring Training, too. When the rubber hit the road, though, during the season-opening 10-game West Coast trip, Dalbec did not play much and struggled when he did. He appeared in six games and went 0-for-9 with six strikeouts.

So, back to Worcester he goes.

Red Sox Need to Replace Trevor Story

It was not just his struggles, though, that caused Dalbec to be sent back down. It was also the roaring start that Gonzalez has had with the bat. He has hit .321 in his first seven games, with three home runs and 10 RBIs. His OPS of 1.196 is 10^th in all of the minor leagues, as he has also added two triples and a double.

With shortstop Trevor Story again likely done for the season because of a shoulder injury, the Red Sox are badly in need of infield depth up the middle. Gonzalez can play both shortstop and second base. The Red Sox have top prospect Marcelo Mayer in the wings, but the team is not ready to bring him up.

Gonzalez is 27 years old and had been with the White Sox organization since he was drafted from the University of Miami in 2018. He made his big-league debut in 2021, but he, too, has struggled to stay healthy. He has appeared in 86 games with the South Siders.

Gonzalez has mostly appeared at second base, playing 46 games there for Chicago. He has played outfield, too, and played four games at shortstop. For the WooSox, though, Gonzalez made three of his seven starts at shortstop.

A righthanded batter, Gonzalez figures to give Alex Cora an option at short against lefty pitchers. He is a career .259 hitter in the minors, with an .805 OPS and 51 steals in 293 games.