The Boston Red Sox are turning the page to the MLB Draft once again, as they’ve gutted their roster in favor of young stars. The young trio of Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony have officially begun their MLB careers and with Rafael Devers no longer a distraction – albeit a slugging one – the Red Sox have to think about who the next piece of their future core is going to be.

According to ESPN, it will be Gavin Fien, a third-base prospect out of California’s Great Oak High School, who Kiley McDaniel mocks to Boston at No. 15 pick overall in the upcoming draft. It’s an interesting move, to say the least: If the Red Sox learned anything from this last year, it’s that they should probably worry less about depth at the hot corner and rely more on depth at first. Then again, maybe things aren’t quite so settled with Alex Bregman as we thought.

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Gavin Fien is the next potential Red Sox prospect that could join the young core in place

The Red Sox technically have Bregman through the 2027 season, but he could opt out of his current deal either this winter or next. Despite his recent injury, it seems likely that he’ll do just that: He was hitting like an All-Star before he went down, and he should be able to come back with enough time to reestablish his value and hit the market again looking for a longer-term contract.

Maybe the Red Sox, who have struggled in Bregman’s absence, will have him back next year, either because he opts in or because he re-signs; he certainly seems happy to be in Boston. But this has been a rocky season, to say the least, and if the team either loses Bregman (or even decides to trade him as they continue to try and load up for the future), maybe drafting Fien could make losing Bregman just a bit better. The Red Sox are probably keeping Bregman as long as it’s within their power, but drafting Fien could give them Bregman’s replacement in the medium term.

The Red Sox have shown they are going to put their faith in their youngsters. This season proved they’re ready to believe in the young players in their farm system. Fien can be next. And he could get called up just in time to keep Boston from having to bring Bregman back after his contract is up.

Craig Breslow and this front office haven’t navigated this season well, but drafting Fien could very well restore faith in a fan base that has every reason to doubt this front office. That also puts a lot of pressure on Fien to get on a fast track to MLB. One thing the Red Sox are going to do is believe in their farm system and Fien certainly fits that bill.