Top Boston Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony is running out of ways to show he's ready for the big leagues.
The 21-year-old is batting .322/.446/.503 with a .949 OPS over 41 games with Triple-A Worcester. He's only gotten better in the first quarter of the season, and he's slashing .367/.480/.450 with a double, three homers, 14 walks and 14 strikeouts in May. But Anthony's play isn't what's boxing him into the minor leagues.
The Red Sox's outfield is jammed with talent in Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Rob Refsnyder. Red Sox reporter Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe proposed a potential trade partner for Boston to help get Anthony into his well-deserved spot in the big leagues (subscription required).
Abraham notes that the Houston Astros are in desperate need of lefty bats, which the Red Sox have in excess. He believes Houston GM Dana Brown seeks more of a platoon player but may be willing to make a deal for a more everyday bat, like Duran or Abreu, who was formerly an Astros prospect.
Red Sox reporter proposes trade with Astros that would send Boston outfielder to Houston, allow Roman Anthony to come up to the big leagues
Abraham's version of the deal would net the Red Sox Isaac Paredes, a righty infielder with pop and first base experience, who has appeared at every infield position in the major leagues. Paredes is just 26 and is under contract until after the 2027 season. He's batting .265/.375/.435 with six doubles, a triple and seven homers through 46 games this year.
It's hard to imagine the Red Sox trading Duran or Abreu after their breakout seasons in 2024, especially because Abreu has been so critical to the Sox's offense in the first quarter of the campaign. Abreu is batting .264/.354/.522 with a .876 OPS, eight doubles and a team-leading 11 homers through 47 games.
Duran was an MVP candidate after his 2024 season and Abreu brought in a Gold Glove Award for his work in right field as a rookie, so a one-for-one trade including either player may not work for Boston in terms of value. Still, a trade seems like the fastest way to get Anthony into the outfield and Duran and Abreu are the two most viable options — Refsnyder is 34 and only under contract until the end of the year and Rafaela is signed for the next seven years. Masataka Yoshida has virtually no trade value after his many injuries on a pricey deal.
The Red Sox could use an experienced corner infielder like Paredes, but likely on a more short-term deal. If Boston trades for Paredes and Triston Casas returns next season, it's primed for another year of having too many big league-ready players and not enough roster spots — the thing keeping Anthony in the minor leagues in the first place.
It will be interesting to see how the Red Sox slot Anthony into their big league roster sometime this year. They can't justify keeping him in the minor leagues much longer, but they have tough decisions ahead to fit him into the lineup.