Craig Breslow Rules Out This Idea For Red Sox’s Roman Anthony

The Red Sox aren’t going to bend over backwards to promote their top prospect to the big leagues.

Roman Anthony moving from Worcester to Boston is only a matter of time. Anthony put together a promising spring training, and his hot start to the Triple-A season has the Fenway Faithful itching to see the 20-year-old on Jersey Street.

But as it stands, the Red Sox don’t have a dire need for Anthony in The Show. Boston boasts arguably the best defensive outfield in the league, headlined by 2024 All-Star Jarren Duran and 2024 Gold Glove winner Wilyer Abreu. The logjam prompted some to suggest that Boston should give Anthony a look at first base — a position where the Red Sox have limited depth — but that’s not a move the club is considering at the moment.

“I think just given (Anthony’s) age, there’s still an opportunity for him to develop in the outfield,” Craig Breslow recently told reporters, per The Boston Globe. “Until you feel like that’s in a place where there isn’t just a massive opportunity cost to taking reps away, that’s where he should be focused. And also, I think obviously, at some point he’s going to be impacting our major league team, and to throw another variable into the mix probably doesn’t make a ton of sense when that transition in and of itself can be difficult at times.

“So, try to simplify, try to keep him where he’s comfortable. And if that’s a conversation we need to have 10 years from now, then great.”

Breslow and company are taking the correct approach with Anthony. A very talented big league roster gives the Red Sox a great luxury with their top prospects, who can make the jump to MLB when the timing is right for all parties involved. A rushed call-up often leads to an initial jolt of energy and excitement, but also negative long-term side effects.

So stay patient, Boston fans. You’ll see Anthony patrolling the grass at Fenway soon enough.