Frustrated Boston Red Sox Executive Addresses Future of No. 1 Prospect Roman Anthony

Craig Breslow, the team's chief baseball officer, says poor major league performance is not necessarily the driver to call up Anthony.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (48) is congratulated after he scored a run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at BayCare Ballpark in a spring training game in Clearwater, Fla., on Feb. 28, 2025. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Someday, it will be Roman Anthony time in Boston.

But Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer for the Red Sox, told MLB.com on Saturday that when to put Anthony on the big league roster remains a very big question.

MLB's No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony entered play Saturday with a .306/.435/.505 slash line.

When could the 21-year-old get his first call to The Show?#RedSox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow weighs in: https://t.co/78JaUAVFcA pic.twitter.com/VJPrgn9jv5

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 31, 2025

And the answer isn’t an easy one, he said ahead of the Red Sox’s game against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

“I don’t think there’s a perfect answer to that," Breslow said. "We’re trying to balance what's best for Roman and his development with where we are as a team and the way that we're prioritizing our 2025 season. And try to lean on the goals and process that you think about in the offseason, when the noise isn't quite so loud.”

The noise is very loud right now indeed.

The Red Sox lost 5-0 on Saturday, their sixth defeat in seven games. They are sinking in the American League East, falling nine games behind the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox called up their No. 2 prospect, Marcelo Mayer, last Saturday following a serious injury to third baseman Alex Bregman. Fans are clamoring for the 21-year-old Anthony to join Mayer.

With the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, Anthony is hitting .305 with 40 runs, eight home runs, 23 RBIs and a .935 OPS.

“You also have to be willing to react to the situation that you have right now, and it’s impossible to ignore the performance he’s had in Triple-A and how that is lining up with our struggles here at the big league level,” Breslow said. “We’re also trying to be mindful of the environment we put him in and what he still has to work on and what the pressures and demands would be and try to make the best decision we can for him.”

There’s no real spot in the outfield in which to put Anthony, so Breslow and manager Alex Cora would need to think creatively about how they’d use Anthony should he be added to the Red Sox roster. It appears clear, however, that Breslow knows the Red Sox need to make some changes before the season slips away.

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