Monday, March 10

This edition of the Red Sox Beat newsletter was written by Bill Ladson.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- What do outfielder Roman Anthony, infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell and shortstop Marcelo Mayer all have in common? They are the Red Sox’s top three prospects and will display their skills in the Spring Breakout game against the Rays prospects on Thursday night (7:05 ET) at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla.

Anthony, Campbell and Mayer are so good at what they do on the baseball field, Red Sox fans call them “The Big 3.”    

“It’s funny. We are all best friends. We are together every day just enjoying playing baseball,” Anthony said.   

All three players are currently in big league camp and hope to make their regular-season Major League debuts sometime this year. Anthony (No. 2 in the MLB Pipeline 100) is off to a good start, going 4-for-13 (.308)  with four RBIs, while Mayer (No. 12) has a slash line of .350/.409/.600 this spring. Campbell (No. 7) is off to a slow start with the bat, but he has been solid on defense. All three are looking forward to playing in the Spring Breakout to show off their baseball skills.

“It’s a fun game that lets the fans see who plays on the big stage,” Mayer said. “It’s going to be a night game, too.”          

Mayer has been a productive player ever since Boston made him the fourth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. He made it to Double-A Portland last year and had a slash line of .307/.370/.480, with eight homers and 38 RBIs. No surprise, Mayer wants to get even better in the batter’s box.

“The thing I’m working on is cleaning up my bat path a little bit -- trying to get good pitches to hit,” Mayer said. “If I’m going to get good pitches to hit, I’m going to be successful. In the batter’s box, it’s a lot of swing decisions.”      

Anthony, a second-round compensatory pick in 2022 out of high school, is an on-base machine (.398 OBP in three Minor League seasons). For Anthony, the Spring Breakout is not just about what he does on the field.

“It's about our whole team. It’s about how good our talent is and how much the Red Sox fans have to look forward to,” Anthony said. “It’s not just me. It’s everyone. It’s about us being ourselves. People are going to be able to see who we are and the talent that we have.”

Campbell was a fourth-round compensatory selection in 2023 out of Georgia Tech and, interestingly enough, was compensation for shortstop Xander Bogaerts signing with the Padres. Last year was Campbell’s best in professional baseball. He had a combined slash line of .330/.439/ 558, while making the jump from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester.

While he is excited to play against other prospects, Campbell is more than happy to learn the game of baseball from veterans in big league camp. 

“It’s really good to learn from the guys around us. That’s the biggest takeaway. It's to learn from the veteran players,” he said. “Learn from the coaches. Learn from the guys with experience in the Major Leagues. It’s good to talk to them about mentality and taking it one day at a time.”

Fans who attend home games Tuesday and Wednesday at JetBlue Park will have some fun storylines to follow.

In Tuesday’s 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Phillies, Lucas Giolito will pitch in his first game for the Red Sox since last Spring Training, as he recovers from having internal brace surgery in his right elbow last March. He is in the last year of a two-year, $38.5 million contract he signed with Boston in January 2024. 

If Giolito pitches over 140 innings this year, he unlocks a $19 million mutual option for 2026; otherwise, the Red Sox will have a $14 million club option with a $1.5 million buyout. Giolito last pitched in a regular-season big league game on Oct. 1, 2023, when he was with the Guardians. He lasted five innings and allowed five runs against the Tigers.     

On Wednesday, star slugger Rafael Devers will make his much-anticipated Grapefruit League debut against the Twins under the lights at 6:05 p.m. ET. Devers has been slowed in camp due to the same shoulder injuries that ended his ‘24 season prematurely. 

Red Sox fans should be interested to see not just what Devers does at the plate, but where (or if) he will play in the field. Given the recent addition of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, there’s a chance Devers will become the team’s DH this season. Manager Alex Cora said the situation is still under evaluation.

Tickets are available for both games and can be purchased here. 

Right-hander Richard Fitts made his MLB debut last September and ended the ‘24 season in the Sox rotation, making four starts and pitching 20 2/3 innings with a 1.74 ERA. He wasn’t on the original depth chart to open the year with the big league club, but with Kutter Crawford (right knee soreness) and Brayan Bello (right shoulder inflammation) both likely headed to the 15-day IL, an opportunity has arisen.

Fitts -- ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Red Sox’s No. 14 prospect -- has displayed improved velocity this spring and had his latest audition on Sunday against the Braves. Over 2 1/3 innings, Fitts allowed two hits and one run while walking three and striking out four. 

Quinn Priester and Cooper Criswell are two other candidates vying for a spot in a rotation that will likely have Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Walker Buehler and Giolito (in a yet-to-be-determined order) in the first four spots.

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