Spring training is right around the corner and the Boston Red Sox are preparing to teach veteran Hanley Ramirez how to play first base. This decision has been swamped with criticism thanks to Ramirez’s inability to convert to left field in 2015. As Hanley joined the Red Sox, he was suppose to be a force in the lineup with a glove that was just enough to get by. But sadly, the season just did not play out like that. Ramirez not only struggled to hit, but he was so bad in left field that numerous blooper reels were created just to laugh at him. Not even on his best days, did he match the lackadaisical Manny Ramirez out there. After watching this scenario play out across an entire season, Red Sox critics and fans have no faith in Hanley playing at a new position come 2016.

In case the Hanley Ramirez experiment blows up in Boston’s face once again, the next option to fill the spot is Travis Shaw. When Shaw came up last year, he blew expectations out of the water. He was always known while coming up in the minors as a hard worker who did the most with what he was given. By no means was he some type of top prospect, but he had the chance to be a solid bench player if everything clicked right. In just 65 games in the MLB, Shaw hit 13 jacks with a solid .270 batting average and .327 OBP. That line alone was better then the numbers he had put up in Pawtucket the last two seasons. It’s rare in baseball when a guy who was looked at as a future utility man, is able to make such an impact when given playing time in the majors.

Even though Shaw’s power was a blast to watch last season, it’s very possible his numbers fall off now that pitchers have had an offseason to adjust. He can not be depended on as a legitimate replacement until he proves he can stick at the major league level. Shaw’s splits showed a lot of issues an everyday player can’t have if he wants to be productive across an entire season. In 82 at-bats against lefties, he mashed lefties by hitting a strong .329. But in 144 at-bats versus righties, it was a totally different story as he only batted a weak .243. On top of that, Shaw hit .319 at Fenway and only .224 on the road. Splits like that are tough to depend on when projection a player’s worth across a larger sample size. If Hanley were to go down early in the season, it’s tough to fully believe Travis (Shaw) would easily adjust to being a full-time regular.

So if both Hanley and Shaw fail to produce in 2016, who is going to hold down for first base for the Red Sox? Well, there is Allen Craig who spent 2015 in AAA trying to find himself and top prospect Sam Travis in AA. Unless Allen Craig resurrects himself from the dead in 2016, and is able to successfully hit major league pitching again for the first time in two years, it’s going to be 22-year-old Sam Travis. And yes, the Red Sox have two first baseman with the names Sam Travis and Travis Shaw, and yes it’s tough to talk about both of them without someone getting confused.

Unlike Shaw who made noise using his power last year, Sam does things a little differently. Sam has a very strong hit tool that has helped him a lot since being drafted in 2014. Like a lot of college hitters, he developed a really advanced approach before being drafted. This led to him posting a .313 average across 66 games in A+, and then hitting .300 at AA in 65 games to close out the year. Not to mention, his OBP was above .380 in both of those stints. Sam can also handle himself without an issue at first, and it’s believed he could develop a little more power thanks to his strong and muscular build. As a first baseman, Sam’s only real flaw is a lack of power; in the 131 games he played last year, he hit just 9 home runs. That didn’t stop him though, in 23 games while playing in the Arizona Fall League he kept chugging with a powerful .344 batting average. It’s believed Sam will make the jump to AAA to kick off 2016, and with how he has moved up the system it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he’s knocking on Boston’s door very soon.

One thing to keep in mind heading into spring training is Dave Dombrowski is the general manager of the Boston Red Sox and not Ben Cherington. Shocker! But in all seriousness, Dave throughout his tenure with the Detroit Tigers had no problem rushing a prospect up to the bigs if it meant bettering the team. Some prime examples of that are current Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello and Yankees’ reliever Andrew Miller. If Sam Travis goes off this spring while Hanley and Travis Shaw are unable to perform, is there a chance he could force Boston’s hand? That’s a real possibility for a team like the Red Sox who are doing whatever it takes to make it back to the postseason. Sam is a true prospect with the potential to be an everyday player, but coming up in Boston’s farm system makes it easy to be overshadowed by the likes of Yoan Moncada, Anderson Espinoza, Andrew Benintendi, and more.

When it comes to the Boston Red Sox and their success in 2016, best case scenario is that Hanley Ramirez is able to hang at first for the entire season. Then Travis Shaw can continue back him up, while also being a solid replacement over at third in case Pablo Sandoval goes down. This will give Sam Travis the entire year if need be to graduate from the AAA level, and then possibly take over in 2017 when Ramirez moves to DH. Even though Sam Travis has shown the ability to really hit for a high average, a healthy and productive Hanley Ramirez brings way too much value at the plate to waste it. But in baseball, it seems like the best case scenario never really works out. Injuries and underperformance happen, and when it does, the Red Sox need to make sure that first base is being covered by someone they can depend on when everything is on the line.