Fans around Boston and MLB have wondered where Roman Anthony has been for a long time before the Boston Red Sox's recent sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Boston's recent struggles have only highlighted the need for change, and Anthony, the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball, could add much-needed length to its lineup. The 21-year-old is batting .318/.450/.528 with a .978 OPS over 49 games in Triple-A this year, and it'd be hard to argue he has anything more to prove in the minors.
The hosts of WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" on May 29 asked Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow why Anthony hasn't been called up. His answer is confounding.
"Roman can be a really, really, good player — which we think he is — and still have some development opportunities that he's working through, whether that's getting comfortable in left field, he missed a little bit of time with an injury to his throwing shoulder, working on some things at the plate, despite the fact that the stat lines are going to scream otherwise," Breslow said.
Anthony's stat lines do, indeed, say otherwise — he's been raking in Triple-A since August of last season. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are flailing, trying to stay afloat in the American League East after completely fumbling the easiest part of their schedule. They can't hit with runners in scoring position, with a staggering 154 strikeouts in those situations. Boston needs a boost to its offense more than anything, which Anthony can provide.
Breslow's statement about Anthony's comfort level in left field is curious. The Red Sox insisted that their top prospects wouldn't be called up to the major leagues without an everyday job open at their natural position. Alex Bregman's injury changed the circumstances of Marcelo Mayer's call-up, but Boston could've moved Trevor Story, who's played unimpressive defense at shortstop this year, to the corner so Mayer could play his natural position.
Red Sox management doesn't seem concerned with Kristian Campbell's defensive development, either. He's moved between second base, left field and center field this year, despite not excelling at any position. During the upcoming Braves series, Boston may add first base to his list of jobs.
Craig Breslow lists more excuses for why Red Sox haven't called Roman Anthony up
Besides a need for Anthony to develop more, Breslow also noted that he doesn't want to call him up in a desperate situation that may have him thinking he needs to "save" the team. If that's the case, he should've been called up weeks ago to adjust to MLB during the easier stretch of the Red Sox's schedule. He also should have been up while Bregman was healthy, so there would be enough padding in the lineup around him and Mayer if they struggle early on in their transitions to the majors. Boston signed Bregman for his bat and ability to play third base, but also for his mentality and veteran presence in the clubhouse. The Red Sox didn't know he would need an injured list stint, but they should've learned from the freak injury to Triston Casas that anything can happen at any time — Mayer and Anthony should've been given as much time as possible to pick Bregman's brain about being a big leaguer.
As the Red Sox's struggles mount, fans have gotten increasingly anxious for Anthony's debut. No matter how good Breslow thinks his answers were on "The Greg Hill Show," the front office doesn't have any excuses for keeping Anthony in the minor leagues any longer. Boston's offense needs a boost, and Anthony is the most obvious answer, even if he struggles out of the gate. Call him up.