The buzz around the Red Sox has not exactly been cheerful lately. A gut-punch injury to Triston Casas has thrown the roster into a sudden state of limbo. With the team’s first baseman sidelined and no effective Plan B in sight, the chatter exploded—from trade approaches to infield experiments.
In the middle of all this chaos, Craig Breslow came forward to calm the noise, at least trying to. The team’s chief baseball officer did not just field questions; he opened a full-on approach window and addressed all, from star readiness to positional puzzle pieces.
The Red Sox fans were waiting for internal outcomes to cover Triston Casas’ absence. Every other option was on the table. By sensing the heat, Breslow decided to take questions, and he did it for 10 minutes straight. In addition, while he said the team was “considering all options” for first base, two notable names were quickly pushed to the side: Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony.
Now, Roman Anthony is no ordinary 20-year-old. He is the youngest star in Triple-A and a most talked-about outfield prospect in the game. So naturally, some fans wondered—why not fast-track the star to first base? The instance of the Dodgers is dragged in this situation to make a point. The Dodgers moved Cody Bellinger to first base in 2017. Future Gold Glove outfielder Cody Bellinger won NL Rookie of the Year honors as a 21-year-old in 2017 while spending the majority of his time at first base.
However, Breslow did not entertain that move. “I think, just given Anthony’s age, there is still an opportunity for him to develop in the outfield. Until you feel like that is in a place where there is not just a massive opportunity cost to taking reps away, that is where he should be focused,” Breslow said. He also added, “and also, I think obviously, at some point he is going to be impacting our major league team and to throw another variable into the mix probably does not make a ton of sense when that transition in and of itself can be difficult at times. So, try to simplify, try to keep him where he is comfortable. And if that is a conversation we need to have 10 years from now, then great”.
The message was clear that Anthony’s bat could be trending up. However, the Red Sox are not ready to risk long-term growth for short-term patchwork.
Abraham Toro gets the call
Currently, for the Red Sox, its lifeline appears to be Abraham Toro. The team chose his contract the morning after Triston Casas’ devastating injury. Toro, a 28-year-old journeyman who has been quietly raking in Triple-A Worcester with a .310/.403/.480 slash line. That is a dream plug-in for multiple others. However, context matters. The star’s success is buoyed by a .392 BABIP and his MLB data—.220/.285/.353 across nearly 1,300 plate appearances—do not scream savior. Still, the team needs coverage. Toro has played everywhere, just missing the shortstop and catcher. In addition, his switch-hitting bat provides some versatility. It is not flashy, but it is functional.
The real concern is how long can Toro be a band-aid worker?
With Romy González available in the crowd—currently hitting .279 with no homers—the team is essentially betting on scrap parts to fill the gap at the bat-first position. That is a risky approach in the AL East. Alex Cora could be preaching patience; however, he looks unsure. “From my end, right now, no… he is my DH,” Cora said after asking about a Rafael Devers move to first.
Behind the scenes, Breslow is not just crossing his fingers. Data says he is already working the phones, scouring the trade market for more reliable help. Because time to face it—Toro could be the next man up. However, he was never assumed to be the man, and for the Red Sox, expectations do not take a day off.
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