PHILADELPHIA: Boston Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias is introduced at the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on July 12. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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The short answer to the headline is yes. The Boston Red Sox maintain that no, they will not bring up their best prospect this year.
Although … things change. On June 24, the Red Sox were 32-46 and hopelessly lost. A 17-3 run changed their entire year. Now they are 84-72 and in the playoffs.
Arias isn’t likely to be on the playoff roster.
“He’s 20 years old, and he’s only played two weeks in Triple-A,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters in August. “So the most important thing is for him to continue to develop where he is. Often these things become really clear because there is an obvious hole on your major league team, or a player in the minor leagues is kicking down the door. We constantly evaluate those things, but I’m not sure we’re there yet.”
BRIDGEWATER, NJ: Franklin Arias of the Portland Sea Dogs in the on-deck cirle for the Portland Sea Sogas against the Somerset Yankees at TD Bank Ballpark on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Arias kicked down just about everything else. In 42 games at Triple-A Worcester, he hit .331 with 6 homers, 11 doubles and 39 RBI. Along with 75 games earlier in the year at Double-A Portland, he totaled 25 homers, 28 doubles, 91 RBI and a .323 batting average.
He was even more impressive on defense. Arias had only four errors on 290 chances combined at shortstop and second base, taking part in 39 double plays.
Breslow left the door open in August to change his mind before October.
“What I am very excited to say is that every challenge that he has faced, he’s met, which is pretty incredible for someone his age and what he’s done at each level,” he said. “I just feel like we’ll continue to take note of what he’s doing. We’ll continue to put him in the best development environment that we can, and if he is the person who can help us, then we’ll have that conversation when it comes time.”
It’s time. And still no word.
SARASOTA, FL: Franklin Arias of the Boston Red Sox snares a line drive against the Baltimore Orioles in a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Playing a part in the decision is MLB’s upcoming negotiations when its’ collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union ends December 1. It’s already a contentious atmosphere, which means there’s the potential of a lockout in 2027.
That makes adding Arias to Boston’s 40-man roster for the playoffs a little dicey. Should MLB lock out its’ players, Arias sits out the start of his age 21 season. If he remains in Worcester and there’s a lockout, he would be able to go to 2027 spring training, play in the minors and continue his development.
So right now, it remains prudent to stand pat. Should Boston advance a couple rounds and a key infielder get injured, Breslow & Co. still have the option of adding Arias, though they would have to petition MLB to allow it.
MLB Debuts In Postseason
As great as Arias performed in the minors in 2026, history is against him being a hotshot should he get a playoff shot. Teams have recently taken advantage of more liberal rules to add raw rookies to the playoff roster. It has happened six times:
2025: Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians
The oft-injured outfielder played only 34 games at Triple-A Columbus but was a surprise addition to the playoff roster. He made an error in centerfield on the first ball hit to him in the first inning, but later threw out a runner trying to advance.
CLEVELAND: Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians after hitting a single for his first career MLB hit during the second inning against the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on Oct. 2, 2025. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
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Signed for $3.75 million as Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2022, DeLauter went 1-for-6 with a walk in two games against the Detroit Tigers.
2020: Alex Kirilloff, Minnesota Twins
Signed for $2,817,100 as a 2016 first-rounder, Kirilloff missed the entire 2020 season when the minors were shut down by Covid. The lefty slugger started in right field in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card at age 22 against the Houston Astros and went 1-for-4, a single. He lined out with the bases loaded in his first career at-bat.
2020: Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays
From not playing due to the Covid shutdown, he worked in four postseason games in relief at age 24, including one scoreless inning in the World Series. Signed for $2,230,100 as a 2018 first-rounder, he was a starter before and after that.
2020: Ryan Weathers, San Diego Padres
Weathers got $5,226,500 as the No. 7 pick in 2017. He didn’t pitch in 2020 until working 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.
2015: Adalberto Mondesi, Kansas City Royals
The son of former MLB slugger Raul Mondesi got $2 million on his 16th birthday to sign as an international free agent in 2011. He hit .243 in Double-A ball in 2015 but made history as the first man to make his MLB debut in a World Series. He struck out as a pinch hitter in Game 3 against the New York Mets’ Noah Syndergaard.
2006: Mark Kiger, Oakland Athletics
Kiger is a living, breathing series of trivia questions and answers today at age 46. Consider that the second baseman:
- Was only a fifth-round pick in 2022.
- Never played an MLB regular-season game.
- Never had a postseason appearance at the plate.
- Played twice as a defensive replacement in the ALCS against Detroit.
DETROIT: Mark Kiger of the Oakland Athletics in the field during Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers on Oct. 14, 2006 at Comerica Park. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Kiger handled the ball once, taking a flip from shortstop Ramon Santiago to force out a runner at second. In 874 games in the minors, he hit .264.
K-Rod’s Incredible Run
Francisco Rodriguez proved a raw rookie can be a postseason star. The right-hander led the then-Anaheim Angels to the franchise’s only World Series triumph.
He got the call at age 20 on Sept. 15, 2002, after fanning 120 in 83 1/3 in the minors. In five Angels outings, he whiffed 13 over 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
ANAHEIM, CA: Francisco Rodriguez of the Anaheim Angels pitches against the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 22, 2002 in Game 3 of the World Series. (Photo by V.J. Lovero/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X67076 TK2)
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Since he was already on their 40-man roster on August 31, the Angels were allowed to add him as an injury replacement for Steve Green – who spent the entire season on the 60-day injured list.
Talk about bending – but not breaking – the rules. Talk about breaking the opposition.
Rodriguez was a one-man whirlwind, posting a 5-1 record in 18 2/3 innings of postseason relief, striking out 28. He was 2-0 against the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins, and 1-1 in the World Series win over the San Francisco Giants.
Rodriguez more than earned the $900,000 the Angels paid him as an international free agent at age 16 in 1998. That was the most the franchise had ever spent and the most at the time paid to a player from Venezuela.
MLB Greats At 20
Though some of these greats got to the majors as teens, see what they did at age 20:
- Mel Ott (1929): The future Hall of Famer was a one-man wrecking crew for the New York Giants with 42 homers and 151 RBI. Things were different. He had signed for $400 at age 16.
- Al Kaline (1955): He won the AL batting title (.340) for the Detroit Tigers with 27 homers, 102 RBI and 25 more walks than strikeouts on the way to the HOF. He had signed for $18,000 at age 18.
BALTIMORE: Orioles pitchers (L to R) Moe Drabowsky, Wally Bunker, Jim Palmer and Dave McNally in the Memorial Stadium clubhouse on Oct. 9, 1966. The quartet shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers over the final 33 2/3 innings to sweep the 1966 World Series.
Bettmann Archive
- Jim Palmer (1966): He went 15-10, then beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, 6-0, for the Baltimore Orioles on the way to the HOF. He had signed for $50,000 out of high school in 1963.
- Alex Rodriguez (1996): He won an AL batting title (.358) and had 36 homers, 123 RBI and 15 stolen bases for the Seattle Mariners. He got $1 million as the No. 1 pick in 1993.
- Mike Trout (2012): He hit .326 with 30 homers, 49 steals and 129 runs to RBI the AL Rookie of the Year award and finish second in MVP voting. He got $1.215 million to sign as a 2009 first-rounder.
- Juan Soto (2019): Signed for $1.2 million at age 16, four years later he helped the Washington Nationals win it all. He had 34 homers, 110 runs, 110 RBI in the regular season. In the playoffs, he had 5 homers, 12 runs, 14 RBI.
Perhaps the Boston Red Sox may find a way to play Franklin Arias and win in 2026.
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