Jul 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (43) and right fielder Wilyer Abreu (52) celebrates after defeating the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
An issue is developing for the Boston Red Sox heading into the 2025 season. It may be a good issue to have in theory, but it's an issue nonetheless.
The Red Sox simply have too many good outfielders on their team. They've got All-Stars. Excellent defenders. Pure power hitters. Top prospects. It's almost become an embarrassment of riches for a Boston team that also traded away two World Series-winning outfielders in the past five years.
Unfortunately, the Red Sox can only play three outfielders at a time, per the centuries-old rules of the sport they play. And with an impending roster crunch.
Free-agent-to-be Tyler O'Neill is making the Red Sox's decision on whether to bring him back in 2025 difficult with a late-season power surge. Jarren Duran isn't going anywhere, Wilyer Abreu is a Rookie of the Year candidate, and Ceddanne Rafaela got a contract extension this spring.
Then, there's 20-year-old Roman Anthony, recently named the number-one prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America. His ascent to the big leagues is exciting, but it also means the Red Sox may have to move someone to make room for the future slugger.
In his September top 50 prospects rankings, insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic expressed his belief that Abreu could be traded if and when Anthony takes over the starting right field job.
"(Anthony) has a high baseball IQ and soon will likely be the everyday right fielder for the Red Sox with a strong arm," Bowden said. "Long term, I like Anthony over Wilyer Abreu, who could eventually move to left field or be traded."
Trading Abreu would be a very difficult move for Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, because letting go of a player as talented as the 25-year-old is at such an early stage in his career could blow up in his face. But it could also be the quickest way to get the Red Sox where they need to be.
On one hand, left-handed hitters with .822 OPS's and rocket arms don't just grow on trees. Perhaps Anthony's ceiling is higher than Abreu's, but the Red Sox have seen what Abreu already is as a big-leaguer, and that's a pretty darn good ballplayer.
On the other hand, if Anthony is going to be an everyday starter for the Red Sox in the near future, Abreu's skillset becomes somewhat redundant, as he and Anthony are good at most of the same things. And trading a controllable star could get the Red Sox the pitching they so desperately need.
It's a real conundrum. Keep both and the Red Sox could have one too many very good players. Let Abreu go, and the slugger could make Boston rue the day they gave up on him.