Over the past two years, the Red Sox have shown a clear trend in how they handle their young talent: they’re open to offering contract extensions that bypass arbitration and provide financial security to their top prospects early in their careers.
Whether this approach is smart is up for debate, but Boston has already handed out notable deals to players like Brayan Bello (six years, $55 million), Ceddanne Rafaela (eight years, $50 million), and Kristian Campbell (eight years, $60 million). These contracts include significant guarantees but are still considered relatively affordable.
Rafaela, while only an average hitter, is among the league’s top defensive centerfielders. Bello has held his own at the back of the starting rotation. Campbell was something of a spring training bet—he started strong, making his deal look like a bargain, but has since been sent back to Triple-A.
All of this sets the stage for what the Red Sox might do with Roman Anthony, baseball’s top-ranked prospect. His recent debut with the team drew plenty of attention, and he’s just now starting to find his rhythm. While he seems like a logical candidate for an early extension, Anthony says he hasn’t been approached about one yet.
Red Sox Could Sign Roman Anthony to a Long Deal
Speaking to reporters before the Red Sox wrapped up their series against the Blue Jays, Roman Anthony said, “No, not at all. I haven’t heard a peep from anyone about anything,” when asked about possible extension talks.
That’s not entirely unexpected. Given Anthony’s high potential, his representatives likely prefer to hold off on any contract discussions until he begins performing at the major league level. If he eventually produces in the big leagues the way he did in Triple-A—where he hit .309 with a .940 OPS over 93 games—he could be in line for a massive deal.
For now, though, there’s no guarantee he’ll reach that level, and Anthony is keeping his focus on contributing.
“My main goal right now is pretty straightforward: show up every day, do what I can to help this team win,” he said. “There haven’t been any talks about a contract, and I appreciate the Red Sox letting me just go out and play. But no, there’s been nothing so far.”