Sox, Beckett Agree to 4-year Extension

After an opening night performance that Beckett would like to forget on Sunday, his Monday was considerably better. Finally, after much speculation this past week about the Red Sox and Beckett being close to an extension, the deal is done. The two parties agreed to a 4-year, $68 million extension for the 29-year old Red Sox ace.

Although all the details of the contract will not be released until this afternoon, the Sox now have John Lackey and Josh Beckett locked up for the next several years. Barring injuries, the Sox have an incredible foundation to build on and when you throw in the young stars Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester, the starting rotation is poised to be the best in baseball for years to come.

Since coming to the Red Sox from the Florida Marlins before the 2006 season, Beckett quickly settled in and began to dominate the American League. In his 4 years with Boston, Beckett has a combined 65-34 record with an era slightly above 4. Beckett has dominated the competition to the tune of 723 K’s over that span and had his best season with the Sox during their 2007 World Series run with a 20-7 record and an era of 3.28.

Beckett’s post-season experience and veteran know-how will help the Red Sox be competitive for the next several years. It is clear that Theo’s approach to the future is pitching and defense and he is banking on that theory. This is a great signing for the Sox and will surely pay dividends in the future.