Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has addressed and denied rumors suggesting that off-field issues involving former top prospect Marcelo Mayer and teammate Roman Anthony were a factor in Mayer's recent trade to the San Francisco Giants. Breslow stated unequivocally that there are no off-field problems with either player.
"There is this nonsense that appears on the social medias," Breslow said during an appearance on WEEI. "Were there off-the-field issues with Marcelo? With Roman Anthony?" He confirmed, "There are no issues with Marcelo and Roman off the field."
These statements come in the wake of online speculation, including a Reddit post, that theorized a fight between Mayer and Anthony, who is currently recovering from a finger injury, contributed to the decision to trade Mayer. Breslow characterized the trade as a purely baseball-driven decision aimed at strengthening the team's bullpen.
"I’m not sure that something has to go wrong in order for that to be the outcome," Breslow explained regarding the trade. "[Mayer is] still very young. I still expect him to have a very good Major League career."
Breslow added that the perception surrounding Mayer was "completely unfounded and completely untrue" and reiterated that the transaction was "a baseball trade and it was an opportunity for us to strengthen a bullpen that I think is a core part of our team." He described both players as "great guys."
Mayer and Anthony, along with Kristian Campbell, were once considered the core of the Red Sox's elite prospects. Currently, Anthony has been sidelined since May 4 with a finger injury, Mayer is on the West Coast with the Giants, and Campbell is back in Triple-A Worcester after a stint with the major league team in 2025. The Red Sox acquired reliever Erik Miller in the trade for Mayer during a busy 2026 trade deadline that also saw the team acquire catcher Adley Rutschman.