Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony Roman Anthony begins a rehab assignment on Tuesday, but when he gets back to Boston, his friend Marcelo Mayer will not be there. Mayer and Anthony were two-thirds of Boston's "big three" of prospects, which also included Kristian Campbell. Anthony was a star in the big leagues almost instantly and signed an extension, but Mayer did not have the same fate. He struggled as a hitter and dealt with injuries. The Red Sox decided to trade him at the deadline after adding Curtis Mead in a separate trade. "Obviously, Marcelo hit a little different," Anthony told reporters on Tuesday, per WooSox reporter Tommy Cassell. "I came up with him and lived with him every day, and he was my roommate since we were — since I was 18, 19 years old. So, seeing him go, I was excited for him to kind of get a new opportunity and almost like a refresh and to be back close to home, I think it'll be good for him and hopefully get to see him come to Boston, that'd be pretty cool, right? But yeah, I was sad. Obviously, spoke to him, still speak to him quite a bit. So, I hope all goes well for him always." Mayer, Campbell and Anthony were once expected to lead the Red Sox into a new era of greatness, but it looks more like it will be Anthony alone leading the way.
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The Red Sox are in postseason position, and getting Anthony back will be huge for the Red Sox. With one of the team's hottest hitters, Masataka Yoshida, now dealing with a significant hamstring injury, Anthony will be needed to make a deep run.
As for Mayer, the Red Sox likely knew that there was no clear path for him to be a regular in their lineup. Mead is under contract for a few more years and is a proven better hitter than Mayer. He will play second base when he's healthy. At shortstop, Trevor Story is on the way back, and long-term, that spot belongs to Franklin Arias. Caleb Durbin has cemented himself as the everyday third baseman, so the hot corner was also off the board for Mayer. More MLB: AL East Would Make History If Season Ended Today