Roman Anthony represented a turning point in the Boston Red Sox franchise long before his promotion to the majors on Monday.
For years, Boston’s “big three” prospects provided hope for the end of the Red Sox’s era of mediocrity, and the return to the winning ways of the past. Anthony joining Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer was an unofficial changing of the guard in Boston.
“The future is now” touted the promotional ads on NESN.
But it seems the future may have to wait just a bit longer. Anthony’s debut was a product of the Red Sox’s circumstances. Wilyer Abreu was placed on the 10-day injured list, and Anthony was promoted in a hurry, arriving at Fenway Park just a few hours before the first pitch of his major league debut.
So the question remains: What happens when Abreu returns from the IL?
“All of this Roman Anthony hype, it could all come to a screeching halt here in a couple of days,” said Rob Bradford on WEEI. “When Wilyer Abreu comes back, they’ll probably have the exact same situation. There’s no easy answer to this, and I know that people will be twice as up in arms, especially if he does anything in the next few games.”
So for those keeping score at home, here is how the Red Sox have managed their saviors since the start of the season: They placed Kristian Campbell in the opening day lineup; left Mayer and Anthony in Triple-A Worcester; oscillated Campbell between second base and centerfield; called up Mayer after an injury and put him at third base despite him only ever playing five games at the position; asked Campbell to learn first base for the first time in his life at the major league level; continued to oscillate Campbell between second and center; then hastily called up Anthony just hours before his first game, and now may send him back to Triple-A because of a logjam in the outfield that the front office never bothered to fix.
If there is going to be any hope for the Red Sox to write a better future for themselves, the change starts at the top. The Red Sox cannot afford to continue to operate in a manner that in any way inhibits the development of the most important prospects in recent history.
Anthony’s call-up served as a bookend to one of the worst chapters in Red Sox history — a chapter of pure mediocrity, false promises, and financial stinginess. To send Roman back to the minors is to turn the page back and continue writing a chapter that we would all love to forget.
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