Alex Cora Explains Red Sox's Kristian Campbell Decision

Alex Cora Explains Red Sox's Kristian Campbell Decision originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Boston Red Sox are not taking Kristian Campbell on the opening day roster, which is not a surprise, but Alex Cora explained why.

Campbell worked exclusively in the outfield during spring training. The outfield is already crowded, so that move already put Campbell at a disadvantage. He started last season in the big leagues as the starting second baseman. After a strong start, he hit an extended slump and was sent back to Triple-A.

He will have to earn his way back to the big leagues, and Cora revealed what he needs to do after a subpar spring.

"‘You’ve got to get back to the big leagues. You’ve got to play better,’” Cora said of his message to Campbell, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “There’s a few things he did in camp, and (some) he didn’t do in camp. In camp, he didn’t walk as often and he struck out a lot. That’s not him. We just have to keep working together. But at the end, he said it: ‘It’s up to me to get back here.’”

Campbell's early success and status as a prospect earned him an eight-year, $60 million contract. In his first 29 games last season, he had a .301/.407/.495 slash line. However, by the time he was sent down, he had a .227 average and .670 OPS. This spring, he hit .220 with one homer, four RBIs and 11 strikeouts.

Campbell was once one of the top prospects in the organization, but had played just 19 games at the Triple-A level before his debut. He was clearly rushed to the big leagues. Last season, he spent 73 games in Triple-A, hitting .273 with a .799 OPS. He still has work to do before he can handle big league pitching, however.

Campbell moving to the outfield does not help his case, but the Red Sox still believe he can be a valuable player.

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