Outfielder Roman Anthony and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing an eight-year, $130 million contract extension, sources told ESPN on Wednesday, locking up the former No. 1 prospect in baseball in the middle of his standout rookie season.
Anthony, 21, has been a revelation for the Red Sox since his June 9 debut, hitting .283/.400/.428 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 46 games. With elite patience and power potential, Anthony has ascended to the top of the Red Sox's lineup, hitting anywhere between the Nos. 1 and 3 holes, and is widely viewed as a future MVP candidate.
The deal, which includes a club option for a ninth season and is pending a physical, will start in 2026 and keeps Anthony under club control through 2034. With significant escalators, it can max out at $230 million, sources said.
Anthony, who hasn't played since Sunday due to back tightness, was back in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals.
In signing the deal, Anthony gives up the opportunity to reach free agency as early as 26 years old, a rarity for high-end players. He opted to forgo the path of Juan Soto, who signed over the winter for 15 years and $765 million, and instead agreed to a deal similar to the eight-year, $111 million extension with a club option that the Arizona Diamondbacks gave to star outfielder Corbin Carroll following his first major league season.
If Boston exercises its option, Anthony will reach free agency at 30 years old.
Some of the escalators revolve around Anthony's finish in American League Rookie of the Year voting this season, according to sources.
Had Anthony finished in the top two and not agreed to the extension, he would have received a full year of service time, which would have allowed him to reach free agency following the 2030 season. If Anthony does finish in the top two -- A's first baseman Nick Kurtz is the current favorite, and others in the mix include injured A's shortstop Jacob Wilson, Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez and Royals left-hander Noah Cameron -- some of the escalators would kick in, sources said, reflecting the potential value of the extra free agent season.
Either way, Boston's desire to lock up Anthony reflects the high ceiling that evaluators across the game see in his left-handed swing and baseball sense. Trading star third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants shortly after Anthony's debut illustrated Boston's further commitment to its young core, and the redeployment of the money on Anthony adds to a strong group that has been the foundation of the team's seven-game winning streak that has thrust it into the top AL wild card spot at 64-51.
While his ground ball rate is high for a player with his raw power, Anthony's swing decisions are regarded as elite by evaluators and backed by him offering at just 19.3% of pitches outside the strike zone, a figure that ranks 16th out of the 337 MLB players with at least 150 plate appearances this year.
A second-round pick out of Stoneman Douglas High in Florida in 2022, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Anthony projected as a high-average, high-on-base slugger who would grow into his power in a corner-outfield spot.
Other Red Sox players signed through at least 2030 include left-hander Garrett Crochet and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (2031), right-hander Brayan Bello (2030) and infielder Kristian Campbell, like Anthony one of Boston's so-called Big 3 prospects along with infielder Marcelo Mayer, who's signed through 2034.
Had Anthony gone year-to-year in arbitration, he would have stood to make at most $50 million in those seasons -- presuming he did not reach the Super 2 cutoff in his class and earn a fourth year of arbitration -- were he to maintain his projected level of production. Boston paid a higher price for his potential free agent years than other similar deals but in doing so will avoid the potential windfall Anthony would receive hitting free agency in his mid-20s.