Time to call up Roman Anthony? Red Sox top prospect raking in Triple-A

Time to call up Roman Anthony? Red Sox top prospect raking in Triple-A originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Despite his imperfect fit on the roster, Boston Red Sox No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony is making it tough to keep him in Triple-A.

Anthony has picked up where he left off last season with a sensational start in Worcester. The 20-year-old outfielder entered Thursday with a .941 OPS over 13 games.

He improved those numbers with two home runs, including a grand slam, during Thursday’s game against the Rochester Red Wings.

So, with Anthony continuing to rake for the WooSox, why hasn’t Boston called him up?

Simply put, there is no comfortable place to put him on the active roster. The current outfield consists of Jarren Duran in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and Wilyer Abreu in right. To give Anthony consistent at-bats, Rafaela presumably would have to shift to a utility role, even as a potential Platinum Glove center fielder. Trading Abreu is another option, but that seems far less likely with him being one of the club’s most productive players thus far.

Appearing on WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show” on Thursday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was asked about letting Anthony waste his production in Triple-A.

“I don’t think we want to waste anything. You know, I think what we want to make sure is that when Roman comes to the big leagues, he’s able to step in and be successful,” Breslow answered. “That there is clear opportunity for him to get the runway that he’ll need as a 20-year-old.

I think there are still some development opportunities that he is tackling in Worcester right now, but we are really excited about what Roman has done thus far, and what we think he’s capable of.”

Breslow also downplayed the possibility of Anthony getting reps at first base with Triston Casas struggling.

With how poor the offense has been through 20 games, the Red Sox should find a spot for Anthony on the roster in hopes he can revitalize the inconsistent lineup. The most sensible move would be moving Duran to center, where he dazzled defensively last season, and putting Anthony in left. As valuable as Rafaela’s glove is in center, it is outweighed by Anthony’s upside at the plate.

Perhaps Anthony’s Fenway Park debut will come as early as this weekend. The Red Sox (10-10) will host the Chicago White Sox for a four-game series starting Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.