Red Sox Must Cut Ties With Seldom-Used 28-Year-Old, Recall Kristian Campbell

Nothing to gain from an unused roster spot

May 24, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell (28) hits a single during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Roster spots are precious commodities in Major League Baseball, and right now, the Boston Red Sox are wasting one.

Most teams only carry two catchers on the active roster, even when there are 14 position player spots available in September instead of the usual 13. The Red Sox are carrying three, but only two of them are playing -- like, ever.

Ali Sanchez, who the Red Sox claimed on waivers, designated for assignment, then acquired in a trade from the New York Mets, has spent 19 days on the Red Sox's active roster this season. He has all of two plate appearances to show for it, both at the very end of absolute blowouts.

Meanwhile, former top prospect Kristian Campbell is still awaiting his next chance to make an impact on the Red Sox' season once more after being demoted to Triple-A in June. The time is now to bring back Campbell and see if he can make an impact on the pennant race.

Why Campbell should get another shot this season

Jun 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell (28) follows through on an RBI single against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Red Sox's argument for not making this move right away would likely be twofold. One, there are still things they'd like to see Campbell improve upon offensively at the Triple-A level. Two, Sanchez would have a much more important role if Carlos Narváez or Connor Wong got hurt.

Which is the more plausible scenario, though? Narváez succumbs to the knee injury that's been bothering him a while, and Sanchez, who has a .454 career OPS, makes any real impact? Or Campbell, who the Red Sox saw catch fire in April, comes back up and gives you a few big hits down the stretch?

If Campbell is going to be a big piece of this team's future, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora should want to see what he can do for them in some big moments. He's mostly playing outfield in Triple-A nowadays, which should frankly be his long-term role as well, so let him start against left-handed pitchers and play right field in place of the light-hitting Nate Eaton.

In the absence of Roman Anthony, the Red Sox should be looking for every opportunity to make their offense more dynamic. Campbell gives them that opportunity, and unless he's hiding a skill set we don't know about, Sanchez does not.

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