When the Boston Red Sox’s lineup was firing on all cylinders, Roman Anthony was batting leadoff in front of Alex Bregman.
The Red Sox hit their stride when Anthony was called up from Triple-A and cooled off in September when he went on the injured list with an oblique strain. But ask the 21-year-old rookie phenom, and he’ll tell you Bregman deserves a piece of the credit for his early success.
With Bregman’s free agency looming over the Red Sox like an ominous cloud, Anthony recently made it clear how he feels about the possibility of bringing the 31-year-old back.
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Anthony lobbies for Bregman signing
Anthony appeared on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM on Monday, and left no doubt about his desire for the Red Sox to re-sign the three-time All-Star third baseman.
“Can’t say enough about him,” Anthony said. “I can’t even explain how much he helped me from day one. And I came in at a time when he was hurt so, for me, he was like another hitting coach. He was like another manager in a sense. And that’s just the kind of guy he is, the leader, the winner that he is.”
“Obviously, we want nothing more than for him to be back with us but, you know, we’ll see what happens,”
Anthony waxed poetic about Bregman even further in the interview, talking about “grinding out” film on iPads with the veteran on days when he was DHing and Bregman was still on the injured list.
It’s becoming obvious that the Red Sox have concerns about paying Bregman into his late thirties, and the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Chicago Cubs have lingered as threats to sign him away from Boston.
But all the Red Sox should have to hear to make a final effort to push a Bregman deal over the finish line is how desperately the future of their franchise wants his No. 2 hitter back.