The Boston Red Sox are needing some reinforcements entering June. Boston enters Sunday’s series finale with the Atlanta Braves with a 28-32 record and 8.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.
With their chances of making the playoffs fading, Red Sox fans have been clamoring for the team to call up top prospect Roman Anthony. But while Boston made a move, it wasn’t the one that fans wanted, bringing another underwhelming face to the Red Sox lineup.
Red Sox Snub Roman Anthony to Call Up Nate Eaton From Triple-A
The Red Sox announced on Saturday that they will select the contract of utilityman Nate Eaton ahead of Sunday’s series finale with the Braves. According to Mass Live’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox are also expected to recall right-hander Luis Guerrero and will need to make corresponding moves to complete the transactions ahead of Sunday’s game.
Eaton made his debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2022 and made a strong impression, hitting .264/.331/.387 with a home run, 12 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 44 games. While he made the Royals roster the following season, he couldn’t find the same success, hitting .075/.125/.075 with an RBI and three stolen bases in 28 games.
The 28-year-old hasn’t been in the majors since and signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox last winter. While he’s hitting .277/.364/.446 with five homers, 27 RBI and four stolen bases in 53 games for Triple-A Worcester, it won’t do anything to quiet the calls for Anthony to make his way to Boston.
Anthony continues to rake at Worcester, hitting .305/.435/.500 with eight homers, 23 RBI and three stolen bases entering June. While the No. 1 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline looks ready for the majors and would be an instant upgrade to Ceddanne Rafaela (.239/.288/.359, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 7 SB), chief baseball officer Craig Breslow continued to insist there are things he needs to work on before getting the call.
“I don’t think there’s a perfect answer to that,” Breslow told reporters ahead of Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Braves. “We’re trying to balance what’s best for Roman and his development with where we are as a team and the way that we’re prioritizing our 2025 season. And try to lean on the goals and process that you think about in the offseason, when they noise isn’t quite so loud.
“You also have to be willing to react to the situation that you have right now, and it’s impossible to ignore the performance he’s had in Triple-A and how that is lining up with our struggles here at the big league level. We’re also trying to be mindful of the environment we put him in and what he still has to work on and what the pressures and demands would be and try to make the best decision we can for him.”
To Red Sox fans, the best decision would be to call him up immediately and put him in the lineup. But they’ll have to remain patient as Breslow continues to carry out the development plan for the 21-year-old.