NEW YORK — If the play wasn’t the last straw, it should be.
Boston Red Sox rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell needs more defensive reps at Triple A. Top prospect Roman Anthony needs to be hitting his 497-foot grand slams in the big leagues. Exchanging one for the other would make the Sox a better team.
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Campbell inexplicably broke left on a groundball headed to his right in the fourth inning Saturday night, and an 8-3 Boston lead over the New York Yankees soon became 8-5. No matter that Campbell had two opposite-field RBI singles in the Sox’s 10-7 victory after entering the night batting .129 with a .361 OPS in his last 25 games. His defense at second has been an issue all season.
The Sox, which are 31-35, 9 1/2 games out of first place, four games back in the wild card, cannot waste more time. Their best defensive alignment would be Anthony in left, Jarren Duran in center and a combination of Ceddanne Rafaela and David Hamilton at second.
True, Rafaela is elite in center, but Duran was a Gold Glove finalist at the position last season before mostly playing left this year. An outfield of Anthony, Duran and Wilyer Abreu in right still would be well above-average. Rafaela and Hamilton would be a significant upgrade at second.
If Anthony remains at Triple A one more day, the howling of Red Sox fans on social media and talk radio would be even more justified. And frankly, after Anthony’s 497-mph slam Saturday night with a 115.6-mph exit velocity, the howling should escalate to a deafening level.
Anthony, 21, is batting .290 with 10 homers and a .916 OPS for Worcester. He is a strong defender at all three outfield positions. The Red Sox, a disjointed mess all season, would instantly become more cohesive if he were the everyday left fielder, allowing the other pieces to fall into place.
Pitching is the Red Sox’s most significant issue. But one reason they began the night 20th in the majors in ERA was their shoddy defense. Their defensive efficiency — the rate at which they converted batted balls into outs — was the fifth worst in the league. And Campbell, playing a valuable up-the-middle position, is among the worst second basemen in the league according to both Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved.
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To be sure, Campbell warrants grace. He is three weeks away from his 23rd birthday, less than two years removed from the Red Sox drafting him in the fourth round. The Sox rushed him to the majors, and he was an offensive force in April, winning AL Rookie of the Month. Pitchers then adjusted to him, and the team perhaps contributed to his downward offensive spiral by working him at a new position, first base.
The Red Sox not only wanted Campbell at first as a potential replacement for Triston Casas, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on May 2. They also wanted him off second, figuring another rookie, Marcelo Mayer, would offer better defense at the position. Their plan, though, was derailed when Alex Bregman suffered a significant injury to his right quad on May 23. Mayer then was needed to play third, and once Romy González came off the injured list last Sunday, he became an option at first with Abraham Toro.
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Some might argue Rafael Devers’ refusal to play first triggered this entire soap opera, working title, “Out of Position, Out of Contention.” Devers, though, isn’t particularly athletic. The Sox are better with him as the best DH in the American League than they would be with him learning a new position in the middle of a season. And now they have a solution right in front of them, if only they would grab it.
This can’t be about Super Two, can it? Delaying Anthony’s promotion could ensure he is eligible for three years of arbitration instead of four. The Super Two cutoff date should be right around this time, if not later.
When the Sox opened the season with Campbell, they were in talks with him on an eight-year, $60 million extension, a deal that enabled them to bypass the arbitration process entirely. However, they did not hesitate to promote Mayer on May 24, knowing he could become Super Two eligible. It’s difficult to imagine they are taking a different approach with Anthony. They are not the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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So, what is it then? Anthony’s 94.6-mph average exit velocity is the highest in the minors (minimum 100 results). He might need time to adjust to playing left field in front of the Green Monster. But he wouldn’t be any worse in left than Campbell is at second.
As good as Rafaela is in center — he entered Saturday night second in Outs Above Average at the position and first in Defensive Runs Saved among all players — Duran would not be that much of a downgrade. And the Rafaela-Hamilton combination at second alone would make the up-the-middle defense tighter.
This isn’t complicated. Campbell for Anthony. Improve the offense, improve the defense. The Red Sox’s talent is better than their record shows. But they need to start putting that talent in the right places, once and for all.
(Top photo of Roman Anthony: Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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