After a 4-3 loss to the Angels on June 9, Red Sox manager Alex Cora questions the team's direction. Is top prospect Roman Anthony the spark they need?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
“What's going to change?” That was the exasperated question from manager Alex Cora following another gut-punch loss, this time a 4-3 extra-inning defeat to the Angels that dropped the Red Sox to a dispiriting 29-34. As one-run losses continue to mount, the question hangs heavy over Fenway Park, reflecting a season where momentum has been, in Cora's own words, “annoyingly elusive.”
“What's going to change?” - Alex Cora
The frustration in the manager's office is palpable. After an aggressive offseason and with a core of promising young talent, the Red Sox find themselves searching for an identity. The latest loss was a microcosm of their season: close, but not enough. Cora's pointed question wasn't just about a single game; it was about a pattern of failing to execute in critical moments. The team's inability to string together wins has become the defining, and most maddening, storyline of 2025 so far.
While the big-league club sputters, the future is making a lot of noise down in Triple-A. MLB's top prospect, Roman Anthony, continues to make a compelling case for a promotion, punctuated by another clutch home run. He is the crown jewel of a farm system that remains the best in baseball, a system so deep that it has already sent Marcelo Mayer, Hunter Dobbins, and Richard Fitts to contribute in Boston this year. With Anthony seemingly ready for the next step, the question shifts from if he can help, to when he'll get the chance.
In more somber news, first baseman Triston Casas met with the media, standing on crutches as he recovers from a devastating patellar tendon injury. He confirmed he's targeting a return for Opening Day 2026, a stark reminder of the long road ahead for the slugger. His absence is felt daily, but the team must focus on the present. That starts tonight at Fenway against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. Boston took two of three from the Rays back in April and will look to leverage that past success into a much-needed victory to start the homestand.
Tonight against the Rays isn't just another game; it's a litmus test. Can this team find the spark Cora is so desperately seeking, or will the calls for Roman Anthony grow too loud to ignore? Boston is a team at a crossroads, caught between a frustrating present and a future that can't get here fast enough.
