4:40pm: The Sox have now formally introduced that they’ve signed Anthony to an extension protecting the 2026-33 seasons with a membership choice for 2034. Chris Cotillo of MassLive studies that the membership choice is valued at $30MM. He provides that the escalators are primarily based on awards consideration and may impression Anthony’s wage starting in 2031. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe offers the annual breakdown. Anthony will get a $5MM signing bonus after which a $2MM wage in 2026. His wage ramps as much as $4MM, $8MM, $15MM, $19MM, $23MM, $25MM and $29MM in subsequent seasons. There’s no buyout on the choice.
Spit additionally offers the specifics on the escalators, which apply to his 2032 and 2033 seasons. They’d additionally apply to his 2031 season if he finishes high two in Rookie of the 12 months voting in 2025. His wage will enhance by $1MM if he comes first or second in Rookie of the 12 months voting. The salaries would additionally enhance by $2MM for every MVP win in any earlier yr, $1MM for coming second or third in MVP voting, $750K for a fourth or fifth in MVP voting, $500K for ending sixth by tenth in MVP voting and $200K for any All-Star look. Those self same escalators would apply to the membership choice besides the top-two ROY end would add $2MM as an alternative of $1MM.
His 2031 wage will be escalated by a most of $14MM, then $16.2MM in 2032 and $18.4MM in 2033. The 2034 membership choice will be escalated by $21.6MM.
11:38am: The Crimson Sox and outfielder Roman Anthony are finalizing an eight-year contract extension that may assure the 21-year-old $130MM, studies ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal will cowl the 2026-33 seasons and include a membership choice for the 2034 marketing campaign as effectively. Between the membership choice and a collection of escalators, the deal can max out at $230MM. Anthony is represented by Frontline Athlete Administration.
As issues stand, the deal buys out all six of Anthony’s preliminary seasons of membership management, plus two free-agent years with an choice over a 3rd free-agent season. Nevertheless, if Anthony finishes high two in American League Rookie of the 12 months voting, he’d obtain a full yr of service for the present season, thus which means the deal would lock in three free-agent years with a membership choice over a fourth. Presumably, among the contract’s escalators are tied to his end on this yr’s balloting.
Whatever the actual variety of free-agent years being purchased out, the Sox now management Anthony right through 2034 — what will likely be his age-30 season. Barring future extensions or opt-out alternatives, he’ll nonetheless have the ability to turn out to be a free agent forward of his age-31 marketing campaign, positioning him for one more potential nine-figure contract down the street.
Anthony’s deal attracts loads of parallels to the eight-year, $111MM extension Corbin Carroll signed with the D-backs in January of 2023. Each outfielders had been thought to be the highest prospect within the sport after they debuted of their age-21 seasons. Each discovered instant success and shortly signed eight-year offers starting with their age-22 seasons.
As will be seen in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, Anthony’s contract turns into the third-largest assure ever given out to a participant with below one yr of main league service time. Julio Rodriguez’s $210MM take care of the Mariners at present tops the record, although that settlement got here when Rodriguez was a lot additional into what would ultimately be a Rookie of the 12 months-winning marketing campaign in 2022.
Chosen with the No. 79 general choose within the 2022 draft, Anthony stormed by the minor leagues, breaking out with an enormous efficiency in Excessive-A as a 19-year-old and by no means trying again. By measure of wRC+, he was at the least 40% higher than league-average with the bat at each cease from Excessive-A by Triple-A, and he’s carried over his excellent manufacturing by his first 46 main league video games.
In 190 plate appearances as a giant leaguer, Anthony is hitting .283/.400/.428 with a pair of homers, 15 doubles, a triple, two stolen bases, a 13.7% stroll fee and a 24.7% strikeout fee. He’s averaged a scorching 94.1 mph off the bat and seen a whopping 58% of his batted balls exit the bat touring at the least 95 mph. His general energy output has been muted by a 55.4% ground-ball fee, however Anthony elevated the ball extra within the minors and figures to take action as he continues to acclimate to massive league pitching, at which level he’ll get to extra of his plus-plus energy. For now, the walk-heavy strategy and plethora of doubles is getting the job finished simply positive; Anthony has been 33% higher than common within the batter’s field since arriving within the massive leagues.
Anthony doesn’t possess elite contact abilities however does make glorious swing choices. His 73.1% general contact fee and 81.6% contact fee on pitches inside the zone are each 4 factors under league-average, however Anthony’s chase fee on balls off the plate (simply 20.1%) is eight proportion factors decrease than common. Among the many 292 hitters with at the least 190 plate appearances within the majors this yr, he’s tied for the Nineteenth-lowest chase proportion, per Statcast.
On the defensive aspect of issues, Anthony has break up his time between the 2 outfield corners however spent extra time in proper. He’s seen time in heart subject within the minors, however scouting studies on Anthony usually pegged him for a long-term house in one of many corners. His arm isn’t elite however is at the least common, if not a tick higher. Anthony has drawn robust defensive grades for his work to date (+5 Defensive Runs Saved, +4 Outs Above Common). He provides the Sox one other gifted defender to hitch the trio of Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu, all of whom are plus defenders in their very own proper.
That glut of outfield expertise — plus Masataka Yoshida’s presence at DH — has lengthy prompted hypothesis a few potential commerce from the group. Duran and Abreu have seen their names kicked across the rumor mill courting again to the offseason. Boston would certainly welcome the chance to flee among the remaining two-plus years on Yoshida’s five-year contract, which runs by 2027, however with $18.5MM salaries in every of the following two seasons, doing so is a tall order. Anthony was by no means going to be traded, and this new long-term association solely additional solidifies him as a foundational piece for the Crimson Sox.
