The Boston Red Sox have seemed to be coveting top prospects under the Craig Breslow regime. Being offered players such as Ketel Marte and Joe Ryan, those deals were ultimately turned down by the opposing GMs. The most infamous part about the Marte trade came from an Alec Speier report (Subscription Needed). The report claimed that the Red Sox offered one of Payton Tolle or Connelly Early and now-top prospect Franklin Arias in exchange for Marte. However, the Arizona Diamondbacks were more interested in a Marcelo Mayer-centered package, which Boston turned down almost immediately.
Based on that report, it would seem that the Red Sox really coveted Mayer as a key part of their future. And to be clear, this isn’t a statement saying he isn’t; he still might very well be a part of it. But there have been talks in the organization and just signs throughout the season that may make it seem like the thought may be different.
Recent Talks About Mayer in the Organization
The Mayer discussion has escalated recently due to a slew of comments. Per Sean McAdam (Subscription Required), it was leaked that some within the organization are starting to doubt Mayer, citing mental toughness and lack of ambition during slumps as major issues in the player’s mindset. When looking at his season, it doesn’t seem entirely like he’s struggling, as he’s got roughly the same statistics or at least similar to last year. His Batting average is .220 currently compared to .228 last year. But his splits are a bit troublesome. In the month of May, he played 26 games. His batting average over those games was a dismal .198.
According to @Sean_McAdam, some in the Red Sox organization question Marcelo Mayer’s mental toughness, his tendency to withdraw during slumps, and his willingness to play through inevitable minor physical issues. pic.twitter.com/lESzxLKkcq
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) June 26, 2026
Now in his defense, Mayer’s only played 111 games in his career (as of June 29th). So it’s a little unfair to judge a guy going through the motions. But this guy was the fourth overall pick. He was seen as one of the top prospects in the system. And speaking of his defense, it’s understandable to be on his side due to them switching him all over the diamond when he came up as a shortstop. But once Trevor Story went down with an injury, that chance to play his natural position was presented to him. And in 24 games over at short, he’s got a -4 DRS at the position.
On one hand, it seems weird to talk down on a top prospect who has been thrown all over the infield whenever someone goes down with an injury, as it happened with Alex Bregman last year. But on the other hand, in his career, he’s been better at third and second than he has at the position he was drafted at. And aside from April (.262/.324/.377), his bat’s been below average at best.
It should also be noted that the criticisms questioned his “willingness to play through inevitable minor physical issues”. Coincidentally, the same day that report came out, Mayer went on the 10-day IL with a bone stress reaction in his left forearm. It’s weird timing for that news to come out, and then he just happens to end up on the list.
Mayer Involved In Trade Rumors
There was a point, as mentioned, where the Diamondbacks wanted Mayer in exchange for Marte, a Silver Slugger-winning second baseman that the Red Sox were interested in. But the Red Sox were high on Mayer prior to his being called up, and turned that offer down immediately.
It’s understandable to see why Breslow turned it down at that moment. Mayer was MLB’s 12th-ranked prospect going into 2025 and had averaged an RBI a game in Worcester in 2025. Mayer was really highly valued. Throwing him in on top of Early or Tolle looked ridiculous at the time. But for a Red Sox team struggling with power right now, a guy who’s hit 25+ the past two seasons and who has 15 currently would be pretty good right now.
He’s also a slightly better fielder overall than Mayer. Mayer’s got four errors and a -2 DRS overall this season, whereas Marte has zero errors and 0 DRS, but an average fielder’s better than a bad one. Again, Mayer gets a pass due to all of the switchups, but it’s hard not to think about what could’ve been if Mayer and Early went to Arizona for Marte.
Small Incident With Willson Contreras
It’s no secret that for the most part this season, the Red Sox offense has been struggling. And in early May, newer acquisition Willson Contreras had some choice words to say towards the younger guys, claiming that amid the struggles, you just have to be patient with the younger bats on the team.
Mayer then responded, calling Contreras’ claim “an excuse”. To Mayer’s point, everyone was struggling at that point. Not just the young guys. Contreras and Mayer emphasized a couple of days later that there was no bad blood between them, but with Contreras’ words, mixed in with the recent leak about Mayer from McAdam, it’s sort of thought-provoking on what the view is on Mayer throughout the organization.
The Last Word
Mayer has been a tricky name to discuss over the past couple of months, as he’s been disappointing so far this season and considering what the team could’ve gotten for him. So it’s understandable to be a little frustrated with him. But with the recent report that came out, that can’t be good for a 23-year-old that Boston thought highly of before this season. It’s definitely been a weird season regarding the young players, but bashing a guy saying he has no mental toughness, whether it’s true or not, isn’t going to make the situation better. There can only be hope that Mayer gets back on track soon.
Main Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
