Red Sox's Weird Management Of Roman Anthony Has Single, Sad Explanation

Boston Red Sox management has completely botched the beginning of the Big 3 era.

Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell all deserved more seamless entrances to the Major Leagues, but that's beside the main point: Boston has gotten away from a focus on winning above all else in its management of these prospects and the rest of the roster.

Anthony, Mayer, and Campbell should have been together on the roster on Opening Day. It was clear then, and it's much clearer now. Since then, Campbell's hot start at the plate has been compromised by Alex Cora yanking him around the diamond defensively.

Trevor Story's miserable May -- and Boston's floundering offense -- reveals what the team missed by not having Mayer's bat in the fold from the start of the season.

And perhaps the most laughable decision of the whole ordeal -- prized prospect and offensive juggernaut Roman Anthony remains in Triple-A as Boston struggles to not only win games but keep its fan base optimistic.

There is no logical explanation for Anthony still being in the minors other than the depressing theory that has now crystallized into a nearly infallible assumption: Boston is holding Anthony out of the majors for contractual reasons -- due to MLB service time rules, the Red Sox can avoid losing a year of team control over Anthony if they delay his debut.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, Cora, and whoever else is backing the Anthony decision need a reminder from former NFL head coach Herman Edwards: You play to win the game.

Keeping Anthony on ice to serve a contractual advantage might be a sly maneuver if this was the Chicago White Sox or Pittsburgh Pirates ... but it's not. This is the Boston Red Sox, an organization that prides itself on perennial contention, even if that pride has taken its bruises over the last few years.

Yes, all signs suggest that Anthony's promotion is imminent. But it's far too late. This is not to suggest that Anthony will be some sort of savior or fix Boston's collective issues (he won't).

The main criticism here is that Boston's handling of Anthony, Mayer, and Campbell -- not to mention the mismanagement of Rafael Devers and Trevor Story -- has revealed that the Red Sox are overthinking roster decisions.