The Boston Red Sox are making somewhat of a surprising move this afternoon by announcing they are sending rookie second-baseman Kristian Campbell to their AAA affiliate Worcester.
Jeff Passan of ESPN was first on the report. The corresponding move is likely that Wilyer Abreu will be activated off the Injured List tomorrow. Campbell had a promising start over the first couple of weeks of the Red Sox season, but production has slowed down for the 22-year-old. Campbell was assigned as the Opening Day second baseman for Boston and was the first of their star trio of prospects to see big league action.
How Has Campbell Performed as of Late?
Campbell’s WAR has plummeted to -0.7, and he’s hitting just .223 with six home runs as an everyday player. The move is likely to give him some more time to develop in the Boston Red Sox minor league system, and he’ll likely be brought up again soon. Boston signed him to an eight-year, $60 million contract back in April.
Here is what MLB writer Darragh McDonald of MLBTradeRumors.com had to say:
“Campbellâs big league career got out to a strong start, at least offensively. Through April 29th, he was sitting on a line of .313/.420/.515 for a 161 wRC+. He was striking out at a 25.2% clip but also walking in 16% of his plate appearances. But since then, heâs gone ice cold, with a .154/.236/.215 line and 25 wRC+. He has been punched out in 29.2% of his plate appearances in that latter stretch while only drawing walks at a 6.9% pace.”
“His glovework has also been less than ideal, to put it mildly. In 471 2/3 innings at second base, he has been credited with -14 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average, making him one of the worst defenders in the majors this year. He has also played some outfield and the Sox had him try some first base work in the wake of the Triston Casas injury, but he still hasnât played there in any game action.”
How Long Will Campbell Spend in Minors?
It’s unclear at the moment how long Campbell will stay in the minors, but one can assume it will until he irons out a few things with his swing. And as McDonald mentioned, fielding may also be a bit of an issue.
Campbell is still really inexperienced as a professional baseball player, and it’s one of the hardest sports on the planet for a reason. This move isn’t a knock to Campbell as a player, but rather a needed step in his future development. The Boston Red Sox have committed financially to the second baseman, so he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He had just 137 minor league appearances under his belt coming straight out of college at Georgia Tech. Those who follow the Red Sox closely probably understood that this deal was imminent due to his struggles at the plate recently.
This roster move for Boston shows that they aren’t messing around with their future. Other star prospects like Roman Anthony have also struggled a bit, and it will be interesting to see if they make a move similar to this with him soon. After trading away Rafael Devers, Boston is taking every measure possible to throw out the best possible lineup on a nightly basis.
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