Despite roster challenges, Red Sox executive reveals why Roman Anthony’s MLB debut is being delayed

The Boston Red Sox's farm system is stacked with talented players who are knocking on the door of a major league call-up. While Boston has promoted two talented prospects this year, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, Roman Anthony, continues to wait his turn.

Roman Anthony is producing at a high level, slashing .318/.450/.528 with eight home runs and 23 RBI for Triple-A Worcester in 176 at-bats. However, despite his eye-catching numbers and Red Sox's injury concerns, Anthony has failed to make the 40-man roster.

While the Red Sox promoted Marcelo Mayer this month after third baseman Alex Bregman's injury, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow addressed why Anthony has not made it to the MLB yet.

“We want to make sure when he comes up, not only is he ready, but there’s a runway for him to play," Breslow said on The Greg Hill Show. "You don’t wanna bring up a 21-year-old and have him play sporadically; he needs to be in the lineup every day.”

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One of the biggest challenges for Boston is the loaded outfield that features Jarren Duran in left field, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and Wilyer Abreu in right. It would be hard to guarantee a starting role for Anthony with the aforementioned players in the lineup.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Breslow is aware of the fans and people in his organization demanding Roman Anthony's promotion. However, Breslow wants to make a "rational" decision.

“You try to make these decisions as unemotionally as possible,” Breslow said per Passan's report.

Roman Anthony knocking down the door, per Red Sox manager

Craig Breslow acknowledges MLB's top prospect's efficiency, but he doesn't want to throw Roman Anthony in a tough situation, especially with the team losing five on the trot.

"We also have to be mindful of the environment that Roman would be coming into and the pressure we could be putting on a 21-year-old in the midst of a losing streak to come up and save the team," Breslow said. "Roman's time is coming. I don't think there is any question about that. We have to figure out what is best for the organization and what is best for him."

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Anthony is not just knocking on the door but "knocking it down," with his performances for Triple-A Worcester. An everyday spot or not, the fans want Anthony in the lineup sooner rather than later.

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