The Boston Red Sox took a major gamble on Kristian Campbell, not only including him on their Opening Day roster despite only 19 games played in Triple-A, but handing him an eight-year, $60 million deal after just a handful of games at the MLB level. Early returns looked extraordinary, but Campbell has struggled mightily for a while now. It got so bad that the Red Sox just sent him down to Triple-A on Thursday.
I'm not going to sit here and say the Red Sox sending Campbell down wasn't warranted. After an electric April, Campbell slashed .159/.243/.222 with two home runs and nine RBI in 38 games after the calendar turned to May. He looked completely overmatched at the MLB level, and things were only getting worse, as evidenced by his recent 1-for-12 slump.
With that being said, from Campbell's perspective, this situation can't feel good. The Red Sox believed in him enough to give him a hefty contract, and just a couple of months after the deal was agreed upon, he was already back in Triple-A. The reality is players don't get long leashes, especially in a win-now situation like Boston's. This going down after the trade of Rafael Devers is a lot for other young superstars to handle. With that in mind, these three future Red Sox stars shouldn't go down the Campbell path by taking an early Red Sox extension, knowing that they could be next.
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3. Wilyer Abreu, outfielder
If the Red Sox traded Devers, they could trade just about anyone. If we're being honest, there's a good chance Wilyer Abreu is on the trade block as we speak.
Abreu's second full season has been very impressive as he's slashed .245/.321/.471 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI in 64 games. He's probably been Boston's best hitter not named Devers or Alex Bregman this season. He looks like a future cornerstone, but that's what we said about Devers. Given Boston's outfield situation, it wouldn't be shocking to see Abreu get traded.
The Red Sox have Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Roman Anthony already at the MLB level. They have Masataka Yoshida, who they want to play the field, on the IL. They just acquired another top outfield prospect in James Tibbs III. They can find room for Abreu, but they can also trade him for a star player who can play a position of need.
The last thing Abreu likely wants is to commit to playing in Boston for the next half decade or longer, only to then get traded immediately after the fact.
2. Marcelo Mayer, third baseman/infielder
The Red Sox traded Devers. They demoted Campbell. Who's to say Marcelo Mayer, another infielder with tremendous upside, won't get traded or sent down?
Mayer has gotten off to a decent start to his MLB career, posting a .751 OPS and hitting four home runs in his first 65 plate appearances, but the Red Sox have already shown a reluctance to commit fully to him, fair or not, by refusing to play him regularly against left-handed pitching.
At the very least, Mayer should wait until he's established himself at the MLB level in Boston's mind before signing any sort of long-term pact. An extension doesn't guarantee anything, at the end of the day.
1. Roman Anthony, outfielder
The Red Sox would presumably love to give Roman Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, an extension that'd keep him in Boston at the very least through his arbitration years and likely beyond. Should Anthony be as eager, though?
As we mentioned above with Abreu, Boston's outfield situation is jam-packed. Anthony figures to have a spot given his potential, but he's also just 2-for-27 to begin his MLB career. The Red Sox are committed to him on their MLB roster for now, especially with Abreu injured, but when Abreu comes back, who's to say Anthony's spot on their roster will be guaranteed if his struggles persist? The Red Sox were even willing to demote Campbell, a player under a hefty extension without an immediate replacement.
The Red Sox took far too long to give Anthony a look in the majors, and at the level, he, too, hasn't played regularly against southpaws. The Red Sox would be wise to build around Anthony, a player with a superstar ceiling, but given their glut of outfielders, Anthony's spot in the majors in the present and even the future isn't guaranteed. He should not commit to the Red Sox until they commit to him.