Amid Rafael Devers backlash, Red Sox prospect predicted to be next Jackson Merrill by ex-Yankees coach

The Boston Red Sox made Rafael Devers switch to being the designated hitter for the team after the arrival of third baseman Alex Bregman at the start of the season.

However, a proposed second position change this year for Devers after first baseman Triston Casas' season-ending injury has the All-Star slugger disgruntled with the management.

"I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” Devers said on the proposed switch to first base.

While Boston has used utility players Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro to fix the hole, the team is still looking at a long-term solution to fix the hole. Devers' move to first base could open up space for MLB's No. 1 overall prospect, Roman Anthony.

Former Yankees coach Sean Casey, on his podcast "The Mayor's Office with Sean Casey," predicted Anthony to have a similar impact for the Red Sox that Jackson Merrill had for the Sam Diego Padres after being promoted last year. Casey said (8:00 onwards):

"You gotta (promote) this guy. He's not gonna come up and struggle either. It's not like, 'Oh, we gotta get his feet wet.' No, Roman Anthony is gonna come up and be Jackson Merrill. He might be better than Jackson, who knows, but you don't know until he gets to the business."

The 20-year-old is batting .292 at Triple-A Worcester with five home runs and 17 RBIs. Casey also pointed out Marcelo Mayer, who has also been impressive this season. He added:

"What are we doing? You're the Red Sox. You have to have somebody who's a legit first baseman over there. Devers could do that and open up. You got the two best prospects in baseball sitting in Triple-A, just waiting to come up right. I mean, they definitely have some things they got to figure out."

Roman Anthony could be promoted after injury to outfielder

Red Sox' reporter Chris Cotillo revealed on Friday that two roster spots could open on the Red Sox lineup after Romy Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder's injuries, hinting at potential IL stints.

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Roman Anthony could be a straight swap for Refsnyder if Boston decides to promote their top prospect with the team in need of impactful bats amidst the ongoing Rafael Devers saga.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash