ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A little more than two months ago, as injuries depleted the Red Sox at third base, and inconsistent defense plagued it, manager John Farrell jokingly called for an exorcism at the position.
Marco Hernandez had just been sent to the DL -- and later ruled out for the season -- and Pablo Sandoval and Brock Holt were already on the DL. With little depth to work with, Farrell called on Josh Rutledge to play third, but his defense wasn't up to the task. In fact, it affected the outcome of a few games.
So after seemingly exhausting all other options, Farrell turned to Deven Marrero, a career minor leaguer who was a poor hitter, but had an exceptional glove.