Two of the Boston Red Sox's biggest stars spent the vast majority of the 2026 Major League Baseball season on the shelf.

Boston won 87 games in the regular season, despite the fact that it only had Roman Anthony on the field for 55 games. On top of this, the Red Sox only got six starts from lefty ace Garrett Crochet. In hindsight, it's a bit of a shock that the Red Sox were able to make the run to the playoffs that they did without potentially their two best players. Imagine what this team could look like in 2027 with these guys on the field? That idea should give Boston fans hope.

The 2027 season is months away, at a minimum, and the organization gave positive updates about both Crochet and Anthony as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow spoke to the media from the General Manager Meetings, as shared on social media by Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe.

"Of note from our session with Craig Breslow at the GM Meetings: He would not commit to Story as the SS," Abraham wrote. "Triston Casas (remember him?) could play winter ball. Crochet will start ramping up soon. Anthony's diagnosis has not changed. 'He feels good. I talked to him yesterday.'"

Breaking Down The Roman Anthony, Garrett Crochet News

With the 2026 season over, there likely won't be too many updates between now and Spring Training. So, any update from the team about Anthony and Crochet is certainly noteworthy.

When it comes to Anthony, he missed a chunk of the 2026 season due to a partially torn ring finger CMC ligament. After returning ahead of the playoffs, his postseason run was cut short after he suffered "new strains to different muscles in his wrist in addition to exacerbating the old injuries." When the season came to a close, it was shared that Anthony didn't need surgery. The fact that Breslow noted his diagnosis hasn't changed and he's feeling good is an absolute positive. At this point, the worst-case scenario would be Anthony aggravating the injury closer to camp and then being unable to start the season on time.

So, this is a big positive.

When it comes to Crochet, he missed the majority of the season due to shoulder and lat issues. But he returned and pitched in the playoffs, which was a great sign. When the season came to an end, the club shared that Crochet was on track for a full and normal offseason. So, the fact that Crochet is about to start ramping up is a positive sign that he's still healthy and getting stronger.

If the Red Sox have a healthy Anthony and Crochet in 2027, plus their other stars, like Adley Rutschman, Willson Contreras, Payton Tolle and Ranger Suarez, among many others, we're going to be talking about Boston as potentially the top World Series contender in the American League.