Per Tim Healey of the Boston Globe (paywall included), Alex Cora has named Caleb Durbin as the starter at third base for Opening Day and for the foreseeable future. Some may say it is a downgrade from former Gold Glover Alex Bregman, who left the Boston Red Sox for the Chicago Cubs in January. Besides Marcelo Mayer, the Red Sox don’t really have another choice besides possibly using a utility player to fill in. Given that Bregman has been one of the best fielders at third base, the question begs: how can Durbin fill that spot?
Alex Bregman’s Defense
This article is mainly going to focus on the defensive side of the ball, as it’s about replacing him at third base, not his spot in the lineup. Of the 114 games that Bregman played in his one season with Boston, he spent 113 of them at the hot corner. In 972.1 innings, he had nine errors. This led to a fielding percentage of .969, which was 0.5% above the league average for a third baseman. He also had an above-average range factor, both per nine innings (2.59/2.46) and per game (2.48/2.43).
The issue with his defense last year was his DRS. His DRS was one, which is above average, but it was his lowest since 2022. This could be due to his injury from May 23rd to July 11th. As mentioned before, he was a Gold Glover in 2024. And according to Baseball Reference, he ranks just outside the top 50 in dWAR all-time among third basemen. In 2025, Bregman also placed in the 83rd percentile for range. He’s definitely a tough fielder to replace. But Cora thinks he’s found his guy.
Caleb Durbin’s Defense
First of all, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed. Acquired in early February, Durbin is listed at 5’6”, which is nine inches shorter than Mayer, and four inches shorter than Bregman. Former Red Sox legend Dustin Pedroia was listed at 5’7”, and he played second. So why trust Durbin at third?
The former Milwaukee Brewer, who finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting, spent the majority of the 2025 season at third. In 1060.2 innings over the course of the season, he only had six errors out of 291 chances. This led to a higher fielding percentage than Bregman at .979, yet again higher than the league average of .964. Durbin also had a DRS of five at third base, compared to a negative one at second.
The issue with Durbin is that his range factor is below average for third basemen. The averages in the National League were 2.52 RF/9 and 2.48 RF/G. Durbin’s numbers were 2.42 and 2.18, respectively. These numbers are easily below average. He’s also only in the 51st percentile in terms of range. So it’s a huge question of why he’s at third. Granted, he has less experience at second, with 43.1 innings, but worse stats.
Does Durbin Fill The Spot?
Last year, the Red Sox had a huge issue with errors. While the team leader was Trevor Story (19 errors), Bregman and Mayer combined for 11. Abraham Toro, who split time with Mayer when Bregman was injured, added four more to the equation. In terms of accuracy, the Red Sox certainly got better by adding Durbin. However, the real question is his range. For comparison, Mayer is worse in terms of his range, so Durbin is slightly the better option. The question of whether he can replace Bregman, though, is yet to be determined. Time will tell as the season starts.
Note: This is not saying Durbin can or can’t be a better fielder than Bregman. Durbin’s only going into his second year. This is strictly about how the two were at third last year and how Durbin could do at replacing the role.
Main Photo Credit: The News-Press
