Red Sox Announce Controversial Prospect Decision Before Opening Day

The MLB offseason has flown by, leaving just a few days until Opening Day 2025.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been working hard to make the final touches on his roster in recent days, however, that’s been easier said than done. The Red Sox have accumulated a plethora of talent throughout the offseason, and not everyone can make the Opening Day lineup, meaning fans haven’t been happy about some of the club’s decisions.

Unfortunately, the team’s latest roster decision is bound to fire up the fanbase again.

Red Sox Send Marcelo Mayer to Triple-A Before Opening Day

MassLive‘s Chris Cotillo reported on Sunday night that shortstop/second base prospect Marcelo Mayer has been sent to Triple-A and won’t be on the Red Sox’s Opening Day roster. The 22-year-old infielder is currently the No. 12-ranked prospect on MLB.com’s rankings.

KPRC 2 Houston‘s Ari Alexander also confirmed that fellow IF prospect Kristian Campbell made the Opening Day roster, all but certainly playing a role in Mayer’s being sent to the minors.

Marcelo Mayer will start the year in Triple-A, he was told today per source.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 24, 2025

Mayer’s demotion is disappointing to Red Sox fans, to say the least. Campbell’s spring troubles seemingly opened the door for Mayer to steal Boston’s starting 2B job, and the latter’s outlook appeared even more promising based on Cora’s unwavering praise.

“The baseball player is real,” Cora said about Mayer on March 19. “He’s not just a prospect. He’s a baseball player.”

The spring slate showed supporters exactly the type of big-leaguer Mayer could be. The Chula Vista, CA native terrorized opposing pitchers throughout the last month, racking up three extra-base hits (2 triples, 1 home run), 11 RBIs, eight walks, and a .333/455/.528 slash line across 20 games (36 at-bats).

Meanwhile, Campbell has often struggled to live up to his top-prospect status. The former 2023 fourth-rounder only batted .167 with a .576 OPS across 20 spring training outings (48 ABs), recording only one homer and two RBIs with 18 strikeouts and 10 walks during that stretch.

When comparing the two prospects’ stats, it’s clear that the Red Sox likely kept Campbell over Mayer based on the former’s name. Campbell has been lauded as the future of Boston’s second base situation throughout his tenure, and the club is willing to give him the chance to live up to the hype.

Time will tell how long either Red Sox prospect remains in their respective roles. A hot start with Triple-A Worcester could see Mayer back in the Majors in no time, while failure to perform as a legitimate MLB starting 2B would likely lead to a minor-league stint for Campbell.

At the end of the day, hopefully, both promising prospects live up to their potential by helping Boston bring home a title this fall. For now, the Red Sox will head into Opening Day tied for the seventh-best 2025 World Series odds (+1800) on FanDuel Sportsbook.