Red Sox Predicted To Demote Slumping $60 Million Rookie To Triple-A

Quite soon, the Boston Red Sox will have to make a decision that hurts someone's pride.

Outfielder Wilyer Abreu should be back from the injured list by Thursday, which means, barring another injury, someone will get squeezed out of the picture. Manager Alex Cora hinted that the 26 players in the clubhouse for this weekend's series wouldn't be the same 26 to finish out the upcoming West Coast trip.

Number-one prospect Roman Anthony was called up when Abreu got hurt, and has taken over his position as the right fielder against right-handed pitchers. But one Red Sox insider doesn't think Anthony will be the one to pay the price for Abreu's return.

On Sunday, MassLive's Sean McAdam predicted that Boston would option rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell to Triple-A amid a six-week slump. The Red Sox signed Campbell to an eight-year, $60 million extension back in April.

"The betting here is the odd man out will be Kristian Campbell," McAdam wrote. "The Red Sox could simply swap out outfielders and return Roman Anthony to Worcester. But the Red Sox would like to see more of Anthony, even if he’s unlikely to play every day.

"Campbell, meanwhile, could use a re-set. He’s looked lost at the plate for more than a month, and more recently, his play at second has been impacted. His range at the position has him rated in the lowest one percentile. It doesn’t mean Campbell is a bust or that the Red Sox necessarily erred in signing him to a long-term contract."

Since the start of May, Campbell is slashing .162/.246/.231 across 130 plate appearances. He's been exposed on fastballs on the inner half and breaking pitches below the strike zone, and if he's put the ball in play, it's usually been on the ground, where damage is least likely to occur.

McAdam also pointed out that Mike Trout and Alex Rodriguez were optioned during their rookie seasons, so there would be no shame in Campbell getting some time to recalibrate. He shot through the minors so quickly in 2024 that he never learned how to deal with struggles at the pro level.

Campbell is only 22 and should have a long, productive career in front of him. There's no doubt that a demotion has the potential to shake his confidence, but from the looks of things, it's already been shaken enough.