The Boston Red Sox appear to be stabilizing after a bumpy start to the campaign. A series against the Chicago White Sox will do that for a team.

At 13-11, Boston in 1.5 games behind first-place New York in the AL East. The Yankees aren’t exactly playing like juggernauts themselves, so there’s a path to real contention for the Red Sox. Alex Cora has a lot of valuable pieces at his disposal, and the Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet additions have already aged like a fine wine.

That said, Boston could use another shot in the arm offensively. As for where that boost can come from, well, it’s rather obvious: Roman Anthony, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Red Sox prospect and arguably the best in the entire sport, is raking out of his mind with Triple-A Worcester. Through 18 games and 66 at-bats, the 20-year-old has four home runs and a .945 OPS.

The only issue is finding a position for him to play defensively. Boston’s outfield depth chart is stacked: Jarred Duran and Wilyer Abreu are everyday players, and while Ceddanne Rafaela’s offense has been muted to start the campaign, he’s an elite defender and, most importantly, he has Alex Cora’s continued faith.

Despite the overwhelming talent on Boston’s MLB roster, however, it’s beyond clear that Anthony deserves a spot in the big-league lineup. Even if it means getting a little creative. The Red Sox need not look any further than the Athletics for the blueprint.

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Red Sox should follow A’s-Nick Kurtz strategy to get Roman Anthony in MLB lineup

The Athletics, formerly of Oakland and currently of Sacramento, made a big move on Tuesday, calling up 22-year-old first baseman Nick Kurtz, their No. 1 prospect. But the A’s don’t need another first baseman; Tyler Soderstrom has held down the fort admirably at the position, and Seth Brown is an effective backup when need be.

So, the A’s are expected to plug Kurtz into the DH slot, moving longtime DH Brent Rooker to the outfield in order to make space. One can’t help but think Boston should consider a similar strategy with Anthony.

Much was made of Boston’s decision to move Rafael Devers to DH after the Bregman signing. We know Bregman is a much better defender at the hot corner, but we also know Devers would strongly prefer to be on the field. Why not placate your $330 million star and create space for Anthony in one fell swoop?

Boston has options here. It can put Bregman at third, Devers at first, and Anthony at DH, benching the slumping Triston Casas. Or, Boston can put Devers at third, Bregman at second, and Kristian Campbell in center field, relegating Rafaela to a defensive specialist off the bench. That felt like the most likely setup at one point in spring training, for what it’s worth.

Devers is not great in the field, but if it means inserting Anthony’s smoking bat into the lineup, it’s all worth it. Rafaela is an important part of the Red Sox’ future, but he’s not good enough to keep Anthony out of the lineup (there’s a simple one-for-one swap option there, too). Nor is Bregman married to third base; he has expressed an openness to change positions if it puts the team in a better position.

The Red Sox are loaded with left-handed sluggers, but Anthony would add a whole new dynamic to the lineup. He’s only 20, but the bat is clearly MLB-ready, and it’s getting harder to justify his extended stint in Triple-A as the extra-base hits pile up.