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The Boston Red Sox are officially a mess. After hovering around the .500 mark to open the season, the wheels have fallen off over the last three weeks. In their past 21 games, the Red Sox have picked up just seven wins, and after their 4-3 extra-innings loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night, their record sits at just 29-34, which has them in fourth place in the American League East standings.
After a strong offseason of work, the 2025 season was supposed to be the year when Boston took a step forward after a couple of years of mediocrity. Instead, the team has been plagued by drama from the get-go, and it's resulted in issues both on and off the field. With 99 games left in the season, the team is at an inflection point, and something needs to change.
What doesn't need to change is the manager position. Alex Cora is a proven winner, and he's in the first year of a new three-year contract. Calls for his head aren't surprising, but that's not the move the team needs to make. So if that's not the solution, then what is? Let's take a look at three potential moves that could be made in an effort to jumpstart this team, starting with one the team has been dancing around all season long.
Force Rafael Devers to play either third or first base
The drama surrounding Rafael Devers and his position has been easily the biggest issue surrounding the Red Sox, and there's no doubt that it has permeated into the locker room. After the team signed Alex Bregman in free agency, Devers was essentially forced into playing designated hitter, despite his initial protests. With Bregman and first baseman Triston Casas injured, though, Boston needs help in the field, but Devers has been unwilling to pick up his glove.
The issue isn't necessarily that Devers is some sort of defensive wizard, but his unwillingness to move back into the field is preventing Boston from putting their best lineup together. While the combination of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro have held up well at first base in Casas' absence, moving Devers to first base would free up the designated hitter position for the top prospect in baseball, Roman Anthony (more on him in a minute).
Even playing him at his native third base position could allow another young stud, Marcelo Mayer, to stop playing out of position in the field. It could also allow Kristian Campbell, who has been in a month-long slump, to go back to the minors to figure things out, but as of right now, he's needed in the field because of Devers' stubbornness. The easiest solution would be to force Devers into the field, but that could cause a whole new set of problems, making this unlikely to happen.
Trade one of their starting outfielders for more pitching
Part of the problem for Boston is that they have a lot of talent, but they cannot figure out how to use it to put together their best starting lineup. That outfield trio of Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu all are solid in their own ways, but they are preventing Anthony from getting his much-deserved promotion to the majors. Beyond that, the pitching staff could use reinforcements, which creates a path for a potential trade to be made.
Of these three guys, Duran is the most valuable, as he possesses a unique blend of speed and contact hitting that makes him extremely dynamic. Rafaela, another former top prospect, hasn't been great at the plate (though he's been heating up lately), but he's arguably the best defensive center fielder in the league. Abreu falls somewhere in the middle of these guys, as he's a solid power hitter (13 home runs this year) who is fresh off winning a Gold Glove in 2024.
While Duran has popped up in trade rumors recently, it feels like Rafaela or Abreu is more likely to get moved. The team could try to sell high on Abreu and pick up a late-inning reliever, which is arguably their biggest need, in return. Finding a trade could take some time, though, and this team needs help now, which leads us to the most realistic and likely move.
Promote Roman Anthony
Simply put, there's no reason Anthony should be playing in the minor leagues anymore. The top prospect in baseball, Anthony has been tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A with the Worcester Red Sox. The fit doesn't exactly exist right now, but his bat has the potential to open up Boston's offense, which is why he is needed in the majors.
In 54 games, Anthony has a .302 batting average with nine home runs and 24 runs batted in. A five-tool player who looks like the future of Boston's outfield, Anthony has proven time and again that not only is he ready for the majors, that he is the best prospect in the game of baseball. Considering the direction the Red Sox are headed in, it's a mystery why he is still in the minors.
As noted, the outfield is currently manned by Duran, Rafaela, and Abreu, but there are ways to make room for Anthony. Devers could be forced back onto the field, or Campbell could be sent back to the minors, with Rafaela being moved to the infield, where he has played previously. It'd be one thing to not promote Anthony if things were working for Boston, but they aren't. As a result, it's clear the time is now for Anthony to find his way to the big leagues.
