Boston Red Sox fans, after enduring a long and difficult stretch of baseball, hoped that a weekend series win against the Yankees would be a sign of better things to come. But, in order for the Red Sox to contend for the playoffs, major changes will have to be made. Play-by-play announcer Will Flemming recently predicted such a development on WEEI Afternoons.
Flemming didn't promise anything in particular, but he did say that big changes would be coming shortly; "Things are gonna change here, they are," he said on June 3. Not exactly the most precise prediction, but maybe that's the secret to getting more things right. He followed up by saying that much would be dictated by how the current roster performs.
With the Red Sox announcing today that they will call up top prospect Roman Anthony, it seems as though Flemming was right, especially since Anthony's promotion will likely spur a variety of other roster changes. There's no space in the outfield for him now between Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu, so one of those guys will likely be either changing positions or shipped off in a trade.
Red Sox prove Will Flemming right by calling up Roman Anthony
"Other changes that are dramatic are gonna happen"
— WEEI Afternoons (@WEEIAfternoons) June 3, 2025
Red Sox play by play announcer @WillFlemming is predicting BIG CHANGES to the Red Sox in the near future 👀😳 pic.twitter.com/vPWFUxZ3Ci
Trading any of those guys would obviously be a major change. Duran is coming off of a stellar 2024 where he made his first All-Star appearance and won't be a free agent until 2029. Rafaela will be tough to trade given his long contract and mediocre bat, but he has played excellent defense in center field this year. Abreu has cooled off after a torrid start, but still has solid offensive numbers and is a reigning Gold Glove winner. He won't hit free agency until 2030.
All of that means that the Red Sox could secure a big return for any of their current outfield starters if they were to trade them. But which of them should be on the move? That conundrum could prove far more interesting than Anthony's call up, which has been anticipated for some time now.
If Anthony does help the Red Sox turn their luck around this season, that could produce even more major changes to the lineup or, more importantly, the rotation. This team desperately needs pitching to make the playoffs, but they'll only get help in that area if they're contending. If Anthony lives up to the hype, he could certainly help that cause.