The Boston Red Sox are overthinking one of the most obvious moves they need to make. Sure, a month into the season you don’t want to make any drastic changes. But when Roman Anthony, the top prospect in baseball tearing it up in the minor league, you can’t continue to waste away his hot streak by not calling him up.
Despite a minor shoulder injury, the WooSox moved Anthony to DH as his offense isn’t affected by his injury. In 16 games this year, Anthony’s slashing .293/.431/.569 with four home runs.
That said, calling him up isn’t quite that simple right now. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, it could be a minor shoulder injury that’s extending his run with the minor league Worcester WooSox. Cotillo added the Red Sox wouldn’t call Anthony up before he’s 100 percent healthy.
It makes sense not to rush him up to the major league because of that. But what if there’s a bigger issue at play. What if it has nothing to do with his injury? According to Cotillo, Anthony played most of his innings this season in left field, prior to his injury.
Maybe the Red Sox are hesitant in calling him up because they just don’t have a spot for him right now. His injury is probably the perfect excuse, but as the Red Sox struggle to get things going offensively, you’d think they’d find a way for Anthony.
Ceddanne Rafaela isn't pulling his weight offensively so far. He's slashing .211/.274/.246 with an OPS+ of 51.
Billy, this is Roman Anthony. He’s a 20 year old generational talent with 34 career minor league homeruns. His OPS this season is .941. His only defect is that he plays in an organization with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Kristian Campbell, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida. pic.twitter.com/QnqRAQ0SkX
— The Casas Fan (@SoxStat) April 16, 2025
The Boston Red Sox have to find a spot for top MLB prospect before offensive woes shatter playoff hopes
The Red Sox offense hasn’t been that great through the first 20 games of the season. They sit a 10-10 on the year and need a solution. It’s not an easy fix, but one that has to come. Only the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs have left more players on base than Boston.
They also lead the MLB with 197 strikeouts. They quite literally have plummeted offensively, so they surely could find a way to bring Anthony to the MLB squad. The Red Sox probably want him to be part of the daily lineup and not just as a designated hitter.
Which means the Red Sox would have to get creative when it comes to shuffling around their outfield, which includes Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu. I guess Alex Cora will have to figure out if sacrificing the offense for defense will be worth it.