Let the future of Boston Red Sox baseball commence.
The club took a big step toward forging its future identity under Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow by inking former top prospect outfielder Roman Anthony to an eight-year, $130 million contract extension. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first on the news.
The extension, which will begin in 2026, could pay Anthony up to $230 million thanks to various escalators included in the contract language, per Passan.
The 21-year-old outfielder is off to a fast start in his first big league campaign, with an .828 OPS (132 OPS+) and 1.8 bWAR over his first 190 plate appearances while splitting time between left and right field for the Red Sox.
Anthony has been especially productive over his last 132 plate appearances as he continues to adjust to big league pitching.
Considering his talent and subsequent prime years ahead, the value of this deal could be excellent for Boston, even with the aforementioned escalators factored in (which could bring the total average annual value up to $28.75 million from $16.25 million).
But the extension is also great news for Anthony, who receives financial security over the long term while still reaping a potential free-agency trip after his age-29 season.
Anthony, along with left-handed starter Garrett Crochet (who was himself extended earlier this season) and infielder Kristian Campbell (also extended), will attempt to lead Boston back to glory, perhaps even as soon as this year, with the Red Sox currently occupying an American League wild-card spot at 64-51 heading into play on Aug. 6.
Regardless of whether Boston makes the postseason in 2025, however, Wednesday’s news should provide reason for optimism for the Red Sox franchise and its fans.
And after the fallout from trading former franchise third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, that excitement is much needed.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
