The newest Red Sox infielder received an honorable mention from an MLB insider.
Buster Olney released his top 10 third basemen ahead of the 2026 season. Cleveland Guardians’ José Ramirez topped the list, while former Red Sox infielder Alex Bregman came in at No. 3.
Caleb Durbin received an honorable mention.
“Durbin will fit right in with the Red Sox’s push to build a pitching-and-defense team, and like many others in the Boston lineup, he’s good at getting on base (.334 OBP in his rookie season) and putting the ball in play,” Olney wrote.
Durbin came to Boston via trade with the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month. He’s worked out at third and second base this spring. In 2025, his rookie season, with the Brewers, Durbin hit .256 with 11 home runs, 25 doubles, 53 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
While it’s unclear where Durbin will play come Opening Day, he did start at third in Sunday’s Grapefruit League game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I think at this point we’re just excited about getting a really good player into the organization and we’ll figure out where he fits best,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said. “Just doesn’t feel like it makes sense to commit to anything right now. He’s got experience at third base in the big leagues, some experience at second coming up. He’s played a little bit of shortstop. And I think that versatility is something that helps us out, but we’ll figure that out as we get into camp and get underway.”
After Bregman left Boston in free agency for the Chicago Cubs, the Red Sox didn’t have a lot of third base options. Durbin can help fill that void, while also providing experience at second base and shortstop should Trevor Story need a game off.