Red Sox Might Surprisingly Delay Promotion Of Big 3, New Report Indicates

The Boston Red Sox’s “Big 3” prospects might not be playing in the big leagues as soon as you think.

Alex Bregman’s awesome arrival in Beantown has Red Sox Nation thrilled, but it’s also brought up important discussions surrounding rising star prospect Kristian Campbell, whom many feel is in line to start at second base on Opening Day 2025.

There is speculation that Campbell locking down second base could allow Bregman to stay at his most comfortable position (third base) while Rafael Devers transitions into more of a full-time DH.

The above scenario only works if Campbell is ready to face Major League Baseball head-on at the end of March, the possibility of which BoSox Injection’s Henry Blickenstaff described as doubtful on Sunday.

Blickenstaff believes Roman Anthony is Boston’s most likely prospect to make the Opening Day roster, but he also predicted a situation in which Boston’s Big 3 are not called up until deeper into the season.

“The Red Sox have three of the best prospects in MLB — Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer,” Blickenstaff wrote.

“All three are currently in Triple-A Worcester, in their early 20s, and they've all been invited to spring training to have shots to make the big league roster for 2025. Mayer, who hasn't played a game in Triple-A yet, almost certainly won't make the majors by Opening Day, and Campbell only played 19 games in Worcester, so he's also a longshot.”

“Anthony has the best shot of the three, as he has the most experience in Triple-A and used it well, with a .982 OPS across 35 games. It's far more likely that these three vaunted prospects are mid-season call-ups, especially after the Bregman signing, but spring training offers them an opportunity to showcase their talent. All eyes will be on these three in Florida.”

Anthony is considered the second-best prospect in all of MLB behind Roki Sasaki of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Red Sox are currently stocked in the outfield between Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela, so it’s difficult to discern when Anthony will be inserted into the lineup.

Perhaps Red Sox manager Alex Cora will keep Anthony at bay until either injury or lack of production from one of Boston’s starters makes a call-up pertinent. Cora has the flexibility to shift Rafaela into the infield and create an outfield spot for Anthony whenever it’s needed.