#first-base

#first-base

Eldridge tore up the Double-A level this year with a .280/.350/.512 slash line (147 wRC+) in 140 trips to the plate to start the season before being promoted to Triple-A, where he spent most of the year and posted a .249/.322/.514 slash line. That was good for a wRC+ of just 105 thanks to the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, but Eldridge's 18 homers in 66 games is hard to argue with.

Triston Casas was once projected to be a key cog in the Red Sox' next wave of top young talent. But, after breaking through with a 23-homer season in 2023, the power-hitting first baseman has seen his career derailed by injuries and a sizable dip in production. He has appeared in just 92 total games over the last two seasons, batting .222 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI over that stretch.

Matt Olson currently sits at 774 consecutive games started. Obviously, that's a ton of games, but it also reminded me that we only have 8 games left this season, which seems insane. With a late-season heater, Olson is up to .280/.373/.497, which is good for a 141 wRC+ and 5 wins. That makes him a top 15 position player and the top overall first baseman in the game.

Enter Carlos Santana, recently released by the Cleveland Guardians. The former All-Star and Gold Glove winner has certainly lost a step offensively, but the defense is still very much there. That Gold Glove came as recently as 2024, after all, and he's been very good again defensively this year. Even with a dip in power and a paltry .225 BA, he can still be relied upon to work a walk when he needs to.

It appears that rookies Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth have secured their spots as middle infielders, with an outside chance that Montgomery moves to third base down the line. Catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero have secured their places as the two primary catchers for the White Sox, but it could turn into a rotation of three with Korey Lee getting recalled from Triple-A.

Nathaniel Lowe joins the Boston Red Sox after being designated for assignment by the Nationals. He is expected to bolster a first-base lineup with uncertainty due to Triston Casas' injury.

Since being designated for assignment by the White Sox, Bobby Dalbec presents a potential first base option for the Red Sox after an injury to Triston Casas.