Kristian Campbell broke came with the Boston Red Sox and was the starting second baseman on Opening Day. For the first month of the season, he lit the league on fire, winning AL Rookie of the Month honors. Then, the floor fell out from underneath him and he struggled to find his footing again with the big-league club.
He was preparing to play first base in the wake of the injury to Triston Casas, but that never came to fruition. Soon after that report leaked, he went sent down to Triple-A Worcester, where he remained for the rest of the season. With the WooSox, Campbell bounced from position to position. He registered 59 games at second base, seven in center field, and two in left field.
At the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow said that the team was seeking ‘stability and certainty’ with Campbell as the calendar marches toward the 2026 season. The team has acknowledged, at least privately, that left field is likely the best fit for Campbell as he grows into a big-league hitter. While that stability in a position will like boost his performance on both sides of the ball, forcing him into an already crowded outfield isn’t the path forward here.
Sure, it adds another layer of depth to the group in the instance of one or more starters being traded, but this feels needlessly complicated. The biggest defensive need for the Red Sox is at first base, and that is where Campbell should be preparing to play as long as he’s in the Red Sox’s system. By shifting him to a full-time outfield role, and one who profiles as a left fielder specifically, the team is putting themselves in a position that could hamstring them before spring training even gets started.
We can take Roman Anthony out of this equation; he’s guaranteed a starting outfield spot for 2026. If we look at the other three outfielders though, we see three proven, MLB-quality starters. Would you take Campbell over Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, or Wilyer Abreu? Absolutely not, at least at this point in time. Rafaela and Abreu are coming off Gold Glove-winning seasons and Duran is only one season removed from an outstanding 2024. Why replace a known entity with something that is a total unknown in the middle of a contention window? It just doesn’t make sense. Campbell should turn into a solid major leaguer at some point soon, but forcing him to find his footing within the Red Sox’s outfield seems shortsighted.
Unless, of course, the front office is planning to trade two outfielders this offseason in an attempt to add another top of the rotation starter to slot in behind Garrett Crochet. On the surface, it makes sense. The team has more outfielders than spots available, especially if they are serious about Campbell making the switch to the outfield. That doesn’t even consider the distinct possibility that the team brings back veteran clubhouse leader Rob Refsnyder. And don’t forget, Masataka Yoshida is technically a left fielder, too. This team is ripe with outfield talent, and adding Campbell to that group would make it an even deeper positional depth chart. But even then, in the instance of the team planning on trading two current outfielders, you’d want them to be in the market for either Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger to fill one of those holes. Not an unproven second-year player.
I’m not here to bash Campbell in any way. I think he can be a valuable member of the Red Sox — he was a top prospect as of this time a year ago — but this move makes zero sense as the roster is currently constructed. He’s bulked up, according to Breslow, and has already been spending time in Fort Myers with the hitting coaches to hopefully allow him to tap into the offensive production we saw when he first broke onto the scene. He’s best suited to do that from first base, though. If he’s adding weight and can hit for power, he’s the prototypical first baseman that the Red Sox have been missing for years. Bulky outfielders can work, but the Red Sox need no help in that department.
If the team trots Campbell out to left field to begin spring training, that should mean that some combination of Duran, Rafaela, and Abreu have been traded. That, to me, would be cutting off their nose to spite their face. Campbell can be a special player on both sides of the ball, but shoehorning him into an already-crowded situation likely sets him up for failure more than it pushes him to be the best version of himself.