After Roman Anthony's promotion to the major leagues on June 9, the extent of the Boston Red Sox's outfield logjam became clearer.
Anthony was called up after Wilyer Abreu sustained an oblique injury during the Sox's series at Yankee Stadium from June 6-8. Boston won that series and maintained the positive momentum by making the most highly anticipated promotion of the year, which has worked out well so far. The Red Sox won their following series against the Rays and Anthony has knocked a double and three RBI in his first three games.
It took an injury to make room for Anthony on the Red Sox's roster, and that spot may close soon (subscription required). Manager Alex Cora recently told reporters that Abreu may only need the minimum stint on the injured list, and Boston will need to open a 40-man roster spot to bring him back into action. Unfortunately, Red Sox reporter Rob Bradford of WEEI believes the team will option Anthony back to Triple-A to do it.
"All of this Roman Anthony hype... It could all come to a screeching halt here in a couple of days," Bradford said on the June 12 installment of WEEI's "Jones & Keefe Show." "Nothing's changed. Unless they make a trade or someone else gets hurt, nothing's changed."
Red Sox reporter believes Boston may send Roman Anthony back down to Triple-A when Wilyer Abreu returns to roster
"All of this Roman Anthony hype... It could all come to a screeching halt here in a couple of days."@bradfo joined the show to explain why Roman Anthony’s stay in Boston could be a short one. pic.twitter.com/foDoi9nC1j
— Jones & Keefe (@JonesandKeefe) June 12, 2025
Bradford is correct that Red Sox Nation will be up in arms if Boston ships Anthony back to Worcester. He has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues and his bat is being wasted in the WooSox's lineup. He slashed .288/.423/.491 with a .914 OPS over 58 games in Triple-A this year — production the Red Sox desperately need in the middle of their lineup.
Anthony's promotion also brought good vibes back to a struggling team. The Red Sox have underwhelmed this year, and Anthony was always supposed to factor in to make the team better. Boston can use him now, and it absolutely should, even if it means trading another outfielder to make a permanent roster spot, which it should've done over the offseason anyway.
The Red Sox have a few tradeable options in Abreu, Jarren Duran and Rob Refsnyder. Refsnyder would probably be the easiest to trade if Boston can find a playoff contender in need of outfield help. His contract expires at the end of the season and he'd be a true rental — a good one, too, with years of experience and a reputation as a clubhouse leader. Buzz around a potential Duran trade has picked up since the Padres expressed interest in him for the second year in a row.
Anthony is a key part of the future of the Red Sox organization and they're going to have to make room for him on the roster eventually. They might as well do it now and acquire some starting pitching help to get them to the postseason at the same time.