Don't the Red Sox already have too many outfielders?
As spring training opened up on Tuesday, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora made a revelation about former top prospect Kristian Campbell.
As relayed by Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald:
Alex Cora says Kristian Campbell is mostly going to play the outfield, “but we cannot forget about the infield part of it because, you never know what can happen… all his work will be in the outfield, individual work will be with (coach) Flo.”
About Campbell
Still just 23 years old, Campbell was a fourth-round pick of the Red Sox in the 2023 draft out of Georgia Tech. He raced through the minor leagues and made the Opening Day roster at second base in 2025, though he spent a majority of the year at Triple-A Worcester.
In 229 major league at-bats, he hit .223 with a .319 on-base percentage, posting an 86 OPS+. He had six homers and 21 RBIs. He hit .273 for Worcester in 73 games, hitting eight homers and driving in 38.
The Red Sox have already given him a $60 million contract, but will they give him the runway to play?
About the current outfield group
By working in the outfield, it seems as if there's no chance for Campbell to make this team at the outset in 2026.
Roman Anthony is one of the top young players in the sport, and the team has already locked him in to a long-term deal. He's going to play. Wilyer Abreu is a back-to-back Gold Glove winner with 25-homer potential. He's under contract until 2029.
Jarren Duran is an All-Star and a former All-Star Game MVP. He's under contract through 2028 and Ceddanne Rafaela is one of the best defenders in the sport. He's under contract through 2031.
Masataka Yoshida is making $36 million over the next two seasons.
As it stands, Boston has five outfielders for three outfield spots and one DH spot. They have too many outfielders as it is, so there's no room for Campbell. Does the team plan on moving someone to create an opportunity? Or, do they plan on really stashing Campbell in the minors for two years until Duran and Yoshida's contracts are up?
The one benefit
If you're looking for a silver lining in all this, it's here: Duran, Rafaela, Abreu and Yoshida are all going to the World Baseball Classic, leaving huge gaps in the outfield, and huge opportunity for Campbell to develop there.
But how it all manifests itself remains to be seen.
Also in the news
--The Red Sox made the signing of Isiah Kiner-Falefa official on Tuesday, moving Tanner Houck over to the 60-day injured list.
--The Sox acquired infielder Caleb Durbin this week from the Brewers. Here's how it impacts the roster.
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