What’s holding up Roman Anthony from getting the call to the majors?
What are the factors that are keeping Roman Anthony in the minors? Is it time for him to come to Boston?
WooSox outfielder Roman Anthony runs off the field following his team’s 2-1 win over Lehigh Valley on Aug. 14 at Polar Park.
Syndication: Worcester TelegramIt seems like it's time for top Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony to make his major league debut. The 20-year-old is tearing it up in Triple-A, emphasized by his two-home run (one being a grand slam) performance for the WooSox on Thursday. The conclusion is clear: Bring him to Boston.
That being said, for whatever reason, the Red Sox seem reluctant to give him his deserved promotion. But why?
Chris Cotillo of MassLive gave some insight into what may be causing the Anthony holdup. For one, he's spent the last week as a designated hitter due to a minor shoulder injury that has kept him out of the field. According to Cotillo, the Red Sox want him to be at full strength and able to play the field before they bring him up.
Letting him heal before promoting him makes sense, especially because with Rafael Devers at designated hitter, Anthony would not be an everyday player if he were to just hit. But, this does bring up another reason for delaying Anthony: There's not a lot of room for him.
Now to be fair, Roman Anthony should be a good enough player to make his own room on the roster, but he does somewhat match the profile of player that the Sox already have a surplus of. For context, he's an elite hitting outfielder whose defensive play trails his game at the plate.
The Red Sox outfield:
Wilyer Abreu won a gold glove playing right field in 2024, and has been one of the best hitters this year for the Sox, batting over .300.
Jarren Duran is currently playing left, where he's been fine. His 2024 season was a standout, All-Star campaign, but he's had a slow start at the plate in 2025 (.646 OPS).
Ceddanne Rafaela is in center field. he's batting .211 on the year and, while a solid major-leaguer, is technically the weak link of the bunch.
It is also worth noting that in theory, Masataka Yoshida slots in there somewhere, but he hasn't seen the field yet due to injury. Also, for much of his time in Boston, Yoshida has underwhelmed.
Cotillo suggested that in order to make room for Anthony, Rafaela will assume a "super-utility role," Duran will move to center, and Anthony will play left.
The last thing that seems to be an underlying consideration is service time. Apparently, the Red Sox are "surely weighing the short-term gain of promoting Anthony now against the potential of him hitting free agency a year earlier," writes Cotillo. If the Red Sox call Anthony up in the next 60 games they will lose control of him for his 27-year-old season, according to Red Sox Stats.
Nonetheless, it's time. Let Anthony heal the injury a bit more. When his shoulder is healed, the Red Sox have to bring this kid to Boston as soon as possible.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
