Once again, the Boston Red Sox have not spent the money that the front office seemed to promise this offseason. There's still time to spend, but options on the free agent and trade markets are dwindling by the day.
There are ways to spend money without going after free agents. It wouldn't stop the fans from being rightfully upset about the lack of additions, but it would give them some excitement moving forward. The easiest route would be contract extensions. New starting pitcher Garrett Crochet should be first on that list. After him, things get interesting.
The Red Sox have three top-10ish prospects in Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer. Could those three get extensions? Alex Speier of The Boston Globe discussed the possibility of Boston extending them sooner rather than later, which has given some fans pause. Does it make sense to extend them so soon? There's so much risk involved when evaluating prospects, espceially ones that have never played a game in the big leagues.
Is there much risk, though? It's not like they are getting mega deals that rival those of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. They would get deals that extend through arbitration and add on a few years, which could actually end up saving the team money.
The Red Sox could lock up their potential future middle of the order for the next 10 years. Yes, one or more of the Big Three may not become great players. However, the risk is minimal. There are blueprints for this type of deal, like Boston's recent Ceddanne Rafaela contract, for example. The Red Sox also signed Brayan Bello to another team-friendly deal last year.
Why extensions make sense for the Red Sox's "Big Three" prospects
Red Sox Interested In Exploring Long-Term Extensions With Top Prospects https://t.co/wllFOBSERq pic.twitter.com/2VHY8cHdqb
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 13, 2025
The Sox could lock Anthony, Campbell and Mayer up for nine years each. That gives them coverage of all six arbitration years and the following three seasons. It would allow the trio to still test the free agent market at a young age when they can secure a big contract. It also offers the Big Three more money in what would've been their pre-arbitration years.
On the Red Sox end, they get security. The organization now has young talent locked up without the headaches of going through arbitration. They'll pay Anthony, Campbell and Mayer more during those first few seasons, but the potential reward is a substantially lower price tag for those additional years.
Maybe it doesn't work out, and some prospects don't pan out. The reward heavily outweighs the risk, though. And for those worried about that risk, it's the same risk you get when signing a big name to a contract. Remember the Pablo Sandoval contract? What about Carl Crawford? Do you think the San Deigo Padres are happy with the money they're paying Xander Bogaerts?
There's a risk with every contract. You could argue the risk is lower for an established name because you have a reference point of what they are in the majors. However, you're also offering them monumentally more money.
We've seen how excited the entire baseball world is when it comes to the Red Sox's farm system, particularly about the Big Three. The organization can (at the very least) get fans talking by putting pen to paper with the future of the franchise.