Boston Red Sox fans expect superstar prospect Roman Anthony to play center field this season, but recent comments from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow indicate that’s not going to happen.
Surely, Red Sox management foresees Anthony’s entrance onto the Major League Baseball stage in 2025, but a huge questions persists: Where is Anthony going to play in the field?
With Breslow claiming — per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tyler Milliken — that Ceddanne Rafaela will be Boston’s regular center fielder this season, the Red Sox outfield doesn’t have any room for Anthony right now.
BoSox Injection’s Henry Blickenstaff talked about this Anthony predicament on Saturday.
“There’s just one problem (with Anthony playing),” Blickenstaff said. “The Red Sox outfield is full. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are the projected starters from left to right.”
“Breslow … (said) that the Red Sox will try to keep (Rafaela) in center rather than switching him back and forth between the outfield and infield. Rafaela played mostly center in September 2024, but bounced around between short and center for the rest of the year.”
Breslow’s exact comments — per Milliken — went as follows:
“I’m not sure we saw the best of (Rafaela in 2024) even defensively because of the fact that he was switching back and forth between center and shortstop,” Breslow said.
“And so I think he’s a guy that we will try to keep in center as much as possible.”
Blickenstaff — like many Red Sox fans — was slightly perplexed by Breslow’s recent comments on Rafaela.
“Breslow’s comments were interesting because it seems like the natural place for Rafaela is in the infield,” Blickenstaff said.
“The Red Sox will no doubt prioritize Anthony, who they hope will be a cornerstone for the franchise. Since Rafaela can play anywhere, it doesn’t make sense to commit to him playing in center when Anthony is breathing down his neck. There’s also more room in the infield, as short and second are both question marks for this roster and Rafaela has experience playing both.”
Trevor Story is Boston’s expected starter at shortstop in 2025, but his injury history makes that position a question mark, as worded by Blickenstaff. There’s also Anthony’s stud running mate in the minors, Marcelo Mayer, waiting in the wings for his big league opportunity, with shortstop being his preferred position.
All in all, perhaps Breslow knows something we don’t. Is there a Masataka Yoshida trade in the works, opening up a DH spot that would make it easier to slide Anthony into the outfield? Even more juicy — is there an Abreu trade in the works?
If neither is true, and Breslow’s Rafaela comments are earnest, one must assume that the Red Sox aren’t making Anthony an Opening Day priority.
