The Boston Red Sox pulled off a wild 17-3 run to claw their way into the playoffs, going from a hopelessly lost 32-46 record to a stunning 84-72. That’s a huge turnaround. But their hottest prospect, 20-year-old Franklin Arias, is still stuck in the minors, leaving fans scratching their heads wondering why. The team insists they won’t bring him up this year, but with numbers like his, how can they not?
His Bat Is on Fire, So What’s the Hold Up?
Arias has been absolutely tearing it up at every level, making a serious case for a call-up. In 42 games at Triple-A Worcester, he mashed a ridiculous .331 batting average with 6 homers, 11 doubles, and 39 RBI. Combine that with his 75 games at Double-A Portland, and the kid finished the year with a jaw-dropping 25 homers, 28 doubles, 91 RBI, and an overall .323 average. This isn’t good, it’s incredible for a 20-year-old. And he’s not a bat, either. On defense, he only had four errors on 290 chances playing both shortstop and second base, taking part in 39 double plays. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow even said back in August that Arias has met “every challenge he has faced, which is pretty incredible for someone his age.” With those stats screaming for a chance, why’s he still not on the big league roster?
CBA Chaos: The Real Reason Boston Is Standing Pat
You’d think those numbers would be enough to kick down the door. Well, it’s not about what Arias is doing on the field. There’s some messy business looming with MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, which ends on December 1. With a potential lockout in 2027 hanging over everyone’s heads, adding Arias to the Red Sox’s 40-man roster for the playoffs gets super dicey. If MLB locks out its players, Arias would sit out the start of his age 21 season, putting his development on hold. If he stays down in Worcester, though, and a lockout hits, he’d still be able to go to 2027 minor league spring training and keep developing. So, for now, it’s “prudent to stand pat,” according to the team. They can’t risk his future.
It’s a tough spot. History shows that raw rookies don’t always light it up in the postseason, even with more liberal rules now for adding them. But if Boston somehow gets deep into the playoffs and a key infielder goes down with an injury, Breslow and company still have one last Hail Mary: they could petition MLB to let them add Arias to the roster. You gotta wonder if that conversation is around the corner.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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