McAdam: Red Sox seem to tamp down likelihood of shifting Mookie Betts to 2B in World Series

It happens every fall -- the American League champion has to figure out a way to keep a potent DH bat in its World Series lineup during road games in the National League ballpark, where the DH isn't permitted.

For the Red Sox, preparing to meet either the Milwaukee Brewers or Los Angeles Dodgers next week, it's a debate that's already half-settled, nearly a week before the first road game, Friday for Game 3.

"One thing's for sure: J.D. (Martinez) will play (every game). That's clear,'' said Alex Cora. "We'll see what lineup is better, what alignment is better and we'll make decisions accordingly.''

Finding a way to get Martinez for as many as three road games in the National League setting is, of course, a no-brainer. During his first season with the Red Sox, Martinez was a candidate to win the Triple Crown. He led the majors in RBI, finished second in batting and added 43 homers. And through the first two rounds of the 2018 postseason, Martinez is slashing .313/.415/.531 with two homers and nine RBI in nine games.

The question is how best to deploy Martinez -- and at whose expense -- is one the Sox have not yet determined.

The Sox have essentially three options:

1. Play Martinez in left, shift Andrew Benintendi to left, keep Mookie Betts in right and bench Jackie Bradley Jr.

2. Keep Benintendi in left, shift Betts to center, play Martinez in right and bench Bradley in right.

3. Keep Benintendi in left, Bradley in center, play Martinez in right, shift Betts to second and bench the second base combo of Ian Kinsler and Brock Holt

The third option, while potentially the most intriguing, is also the most radical. While Betts was drafted as a second baseman and played there in the minor leagues until shortly before his promotion in 2014, he's played a grand total of six innings in the last four seasons. Betts took over at second in an Aug. 4 game against the Yankees when starting second baseman Ian Kinsler pulled a hamstring. (Betts did play 14 games at second in his rookie season, but that was four years ago).

While the position is far from foreign to Betts, it would be asking a lot for a player -- even one as athletic as Betts -- to play as many as 27 innings at a position to which he's barely familiar.

There's also the risk of injury for a player without much in the way of recent experience. Sure, Betts could handle ground balls and quickly get reacclimated to taking relay throws from the outfield. But he would also be exposed to takeout slides on potential double plays, with baserunners coming at him from his blind side.

"And him being the right fielder in the league,'' noted Cora pointedly. "All that stuff comes into consideration.''

Earlier in the day, it appeared as though Betts volunteered for the assignment even before Cora took questions on the topic.

But Betts later said he hadn't -- and wouldn't -- ask his manager.

"I wouldn't do that,'' he said Betts. "But if I have to do it, then cool. He'll do whatever he needs to put us in the right position to success. It's been a while, since I actually got a chance to really get comfortable (second). But I've done it my whole life, so I'm sure after a ground ball or so, I should be OK.''

Cora, too, seemed lukewarm on the possibility.

"(I said to him,) 'There's a reason you're the right fielder,''' said Cora. ''He feels he's great at second. I don't know. I never saw it. If you ask him, he'll say, 'I'm great.' If you ask (Dustin) Pedroia, he'll say, 'He sucks.' There's a lot that goes into it. We've got some pretty good second basemen. We've got some outfielders. Like I said, we're in the World Series. That conversation was going to come up.

"He'll take groundballs (in preparation), as always. You're going to see Mookie taking groundballs at second, but he's been doing that the whole season, so don't overreact to it. That's part of his preparation. But we'll talk today. We'll talk about it. But obviously, we'll see who we play, (and consider) matchups.''

There are risks for every scenario.

By sitting Bradley, the Sox would be losing arguably the best center-field defender in the game, and in spacious Dodger Stadium, that could put them at a disadvantage. Also, Bradley was just chosen as the MVP of the ALCS thanks to his offensive heroics (knocking in nine runs in the span of three games).

Moving Benintendi to center while playing Martinez in left, meanwhile, weakens the Sox defensively at two outfield spots.

And inserting Betts at a position he's barely played for four seasons carries with it its own obvious gamble.

"If the time comes when I have to be in there,'' vowed Betts, "I'm sure I'll have plenty of practice getting out of the way (of incoming baserunners) and making a good throw.''