Could outfielder Franchy Cordero be a part of the Red Sox future at first base?
WORCESTER  Three hours before first pitch at Polar Park on Tuesday, Franchy Cordero, normally an outfielder, stood at first base during batting practice taking grounder after grounder from WooSox infielder coach Bruce Crabbe. The 26-year-old came up through the San Diego Padres system as an infielder, playing 165 games at shortstop from 2012 to 2015 before transitioning to the outfield. But now a return to the infield, this time at first base, might just help him make his way back to the majors  and help the Red Sox to address an area of need. Versatility is a plus for almost everyone, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said. He started out as an infielder, so no harm in taking a look.  Cordero joined the Red Sox midway through spring training as one of the five players they acquired in the Andrew Benintendi trade, albeit the only one with big-league experience. But in 32 games in Boston, Cordero hit just .179 with a .501 OPS. He racked up 37 strikeouts and drew just six walks in 102 plate appearances. Still, the raw power was eye-popping. Of the 100 homers the Red Sox have hit thus far this season, Corderos 474-foot blast with a 118.6 mph exit velocity on May 23 at Philadelphia still ranks as the teams longest and hardest-hit so far. But, as evidenced by his demotion to Worcester the day after that homer, its not all about power. The Red Sox needed to see a more well-rounded approach. Before arriving in Boston, Cordero had played 95 major-league games over five seasons, derailed multiple times by injury. Finally healthy, his move to Boston represented what seemed like a fresh start. But after that rough two-month stretch, with playing time dwindling, the Red Sox sent him down to Triple-A Worcester for more consistent at-bats. Rather than being frustrated by his inability to capitalize on his latest chance in the majors, Cordero embraced it. In 26 games for the WooSox, hes hitting .386 with a 1.158 OPS with 10 doubles and six homers. More importantly, he has drawn 16 walks in 117 plate appearances while decreasing his strikeouts from a 36 percent clip in Boston to a 25 percent rate with Worcester. The neat part was there was not a whole lot of adjustment, WooSox hitting coach Rich Gedman said. What it was, was the relaxation, at least thats the way it appeared to me. He felt very confident coming in here, had a really good attitude when he came here and all he did was work. He could have chosen to have a different attitude and he didnt. He didnt woe is me, he came here to work and get his stuff right.  And thats part of the reason why the Red Sox are trying to increase his versatility with time at first base. Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe capably man the outfield corners almost every day at Fenway Park, but Red Sox first baseman Bobby Dalbec has extreme platoon splits: an .855 OPS against lefties but only a .589 OPS and .176 batting average against righties. Cordero could fit there as a left-handed alternative, while also providing some of the positional flexibility that manager Alex Cora loves. At this level, we try to give guys options and help them find options, Gedman said. Theyre all trying to find ways to get on the field and if we can help them then maybe you might find a guy that, gosh, I didnt even realize he was that athletic. It might start out as looking a little awkward or rusty, but if it becomes something great, it gives you another place to play, an opportunity on the field.  And in Boston, the Red Sox havent forgotten about Cordero. When hitting coach Tim Hyers talks about Franchy Cordero, hes not using past tense. Hes not treating Cordero as a failed experiment, discarded after two disappointing months, and left to put up impressive but ultimately meaningless Triple-A statistics. When Hyers talks about Cordero, he talks about the future  about a career thats still taking form  and he treats the first two months of this season as a turning point toward whatever that career will be. While it might have seemed like Cordero had ample opportunity in Boston to find a rhythm, its worth remembering he was a late arrival in spring training because of COVID-19. Most of his spring at-bats came on back fields while he was building through a physical progression wherein he was allowed only so many swings each day, and a lot of those swings came when Hyers and the rest of the big-league staff were busy tending to actual Grapefruit League games. We didnt get a chance to work with him, Hyers said. People dont understand  with the COVID and the late start  and youve got to let a guy (do his own thing first). Im new to him. Youre getting to know him, and getting to know how he responds, and whats his swing like, and how theyre pitching him and things like that. And as soon as you start to get even a little bit of a grip, boom, the season starts. And then everything changes. I know thats Monday morning quarterback, but we just didnt have (the time).  Perhaps the timing of the trade hurt Cordero, trying to prove too much too soon and with limited time in spring training. Regardless, hes putting up the numbers now and the Red Sox are taking notice. Hyers agrees with Gedman that taking the pressure off Cordero seems to have helped. And so now, adding first base to Corderos skill set can only help him get back to Boston. Sometimes you give a player a relief (by sending him down), Hyers said. He put together some good ABs before he was sent down. Hes got it in him.  (Photo: Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox / Getty Images)