Red Sox demote 2B Kristian Campbell, the impact on his cards.
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On Thursday afternoon, the Red Sox made a roster move that included demoting former top prospect Kristian Campbell to Triple-A. After winning the American League's Rookie of the Month after a strong April, Campbell struggled in the following months, hitting just .159 with two home runs across May and June. He also had shown that he was having a tough time adjusting to playing second base on the MLB level, ranking as one of the worst defensive second baseman across baseball.
While the news may not come as a surprise to fans who saw him go through typical rookie hurdles, it remains to be seen how the move will impact his card market, which has grown since his Major League debut in March.
After earning a pair of cards during the first week of the regular season to highlight his first career hit and home run against the Texas Rangers, Campbell's first flagship rookie card was released with Topps Series 2 as a rookie shortprint. Following the product's release, Campbell's rare rookie card was selling between $70-150 according to eBay sold listings.
One of the most popular cards of Campbell prior to his rookie card were his first Bowman autographs which came out in 2023 Bowman Draft. Upon Campbell's debut and hot start to his career, his base autographs from that product sold between $170-240. As the season progressed and Campbell began to struggle, the same card was drawing sales in the $75-150 range according to eBay sales.
Campbell is not the first instance of a rookie being demoted shortly after struggling in their first taste of the big leagues. Just last season, Baltimore Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday was up and down from the team amid similar rookie struggles. Since last season, Holliday has been producing at a higher level in 2025.
For now, Red Sox fans can look forward to watching fellow top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, who were promoted to Boston in the weeks following Campbell's debut. Amid their debuts, Red Sox collectors have had the ability to purchase Topps Now cards of Mayer and Anthony for their career milestones.
While Boston thinks highly of Campbell, it will be interesting to see how collectors and the corresponding market for him in the short term will react with no knowledge as to how long it will be before the infielder returns to the Red Sox.
Dan Gardella is a Red Sox fan and collector growing up in Yankee territory in Connecticut. While only reviving his love for the hobby a few years ago, he provides knowledge into baseball cards from prospects to the big leagues.
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