Roman Anthony’s 2026 season never really got off the ground, and the Red Sox are left hoping the hard part is over.
The young Boston outfielder managed to play in just 55 regular-season games, and when he was out there, the results were solid but not at the level he showed as a rookie in 2025. He hit .245/.339/.396 with five home runs, 15 RBIs, 11 doubles and three triples. That drop came with a big asterisk, though: Anthony wasn’t close to full strength for much of the year.
He missed about three months because of a partially torn ring finger CMC ligament, then returned before the playoffs only for the season to end early after “new strains to different muscles in his wrist in addition to exacerbating the old injuries.”
The encouraging part for Boston is that surgery is not needed right now. The plan is rest, and with four months until Spring Training and more than five months before the 2027 season starts - unless there’s a lockout - there’s still a window for him to get fully right.
That’s the best-case path for the Red Sox: Anthony shows up to camp healthy, puts the injury behind him and is ready to ramp up for Opening Day. He’s the engine of Boston’s lineup, and if he’s healthy and hitting near the top of the order, the offense looks a lot different.
The danger, of course, is that this becomes one of those injuries that never really goes away. The initial issue came with a wave of mixed reports, then turned serious enough to sideline him for months before flaring back up again. Hand and wrist injuries are not the kind you can simply ignore, especially for a hitter who has to swing a bat every day.
Right now, the outlook is manageable. But if the injury keeps resurfacing over the next few months, Boston could suddenly be staring at the same problem in 2027. In that worst-case scenario, the Red Sox are without their leadoff hitter again, and that’s a problem no contender wants to carry into a new season.
In Other News...
Red Sox Face A Serious Problem In Their Search For Power
Power was already near the top of Bostons offseason shopping list, and it looks like the Red Sox may have to shop carefully if they want to add it. Randy Arozarena fits the kind of bat they need, with a track record of strong offense and a preference for playing on the East Coast, which at least gives Boston a plausible opening as he heads toward free agency after his time with the Mariners.
The problem, of course, is that the market figures to be crowded. Arozarena is expected to draw interest from several clubs, including the Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Cubs, which means the Red Sox would not be bidding in a quiet corner of the winter. For a team trying to add more consistent punch, the question may not be whether he makes sense, but whether Boston can win a race that figures to get expensive fast. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Could Enter The Chase For A Fascinating Power Bat
A power bat with real track record in Japan has become available on the market, and that is the kind of profile the Red Sox have reason to watch closely. Teruaki Sato, the Hanshin Tigers slugger, has drawn interest from multiple MLB teams after being posted for big-league clubs to pursue this offseason, giving the market a notable name for clubs looking to add pop.
For Boston, the fit is easy to see. The Red Sox have been searching for ways to deepen their lineup with more thump, and Sato checks the box as a potential power-hitting addition who could appeal if the club decides to press into that chase. Nothing is finalized yet, but with several teams already sniffing around, the early part of this winter could decide how aggressive Boston wants to be. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face An Offseason Decision That Could Define 2027
The Red Sox have spent the last two Octobers learning how thin the margin can be, making the playoffs in back-to-back seasons only to get pushed out quickly each time, including a sweep at the hands of the Yankees in 2026. Injury trouble only made the picture murkier, with key players like Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony and Willson Contreras all dealing with setbacks during the season, leaving Boston to patch together its roster and keep pace in a tight race.
Now the focus shifts to 2027, where the organization will need healthier returns from that group just to stabilize the core. At the same time, the front office is staring at a crowded outfield and a number of contract commitments, which means the next round of roster decisions may not just shape the bench or the depth chart, but define the shape of the team for the next run. [Read more 🡒]