Red Sox taking nuclear option with Kristian Campbell is actually the smart play

The rise and fall of Kristian Campbell has been a tough one to watch as a fan of the Boston Red Sox, as he was the first of the fabled "big three" prospects to reach the majors on Opening Day 2025. A hot start to his career quickly turned sour, and he's been relegated to the minor leagues ever since.

The good news is that the 24-year-old Campbell showed quite a bit of improvement in 2026 with the Worcester Red Sox. He finished the season with a 107 wRC+, but it was his second-half surge — when he hit a ridiculous .320/.440/.524 (154 wRC+) from July 1 onward — that caught most people's attention. It was the first time he looked like his top-prospect self again since that magical debut in the majors.

Unfortunately, he's not a top prospect anymore; he's a well-compensated professional, with a contract that is heavily backloaded. Thus, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, his security on the Red Sox's roster might be in more peril than anyone realizes.

Kristian Campbell can remain in Red Sox organization even if he's a victim of roster math

As Cotillo lays out, there's a number of reasons why designating for Campbell for assignment makes sense.

I won't call it a "best-case" scenario if he were to get claimed by another team, since losing a former top prospect for nothing is hardly an organizational win. But if Campbell were to get scooped up off waivers, that claiming team would then be on the hook for the remainder of his contract, which guarantees him $52.5 million through 2032. Ahead of the upcoming lockout, that would certainly help clean up the Red Sox's long-term books.

In the far-more-likely scenario he passes through waivers untouched, however, there are still benefits to be had. The most obvious is that it will free up a 40-man roster spot, of which the team is in short supply of right now. Now that the 60-day IL is no longer in play following the conclusion of the World Series, the Sox are over the limit by three players after their trade of Nate Eaton to the Athletics. They need to be in accordance with roster rules by the start of free agency (i.e., five days after the Fall Classic).

Likewise, he won't use up a minor-league option year if he's still playing in Worcester, since he won't be a part of the 40-man roster. That would give him increased flexibility down the road without affecting his ability to come up to Boston (the Red Sox would have to clear a 40-man spot to call him back up to the big leagues, but that's the only hurdle).

Seeing as he's going to get his contract paid out anyway, it's not like Campbell would be hurting too much from the decision either. Unless the Red Sox are 100% planning on inserting him onto the Opening Day roster next year, subjecting the former top prospect to waivers with every intention of outrighting him right back to Worcester would be a shrewd bit of roster management from Craig Breslow and company.

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