The Boston Red Sox on August 6 locked up a hopeful franchise cornerstone when former No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony signed an eight-year, $130 million extension.
The Red Sox have taken to extending promising talent early in recent years, including Brayan Bello, Ceddanne Rafaela and Kristian Campbell. Anthony is just 21 years old, and his future in the big leagues is very much uncertain, but the Red Sox and many other teams and experts across baseball are convinced he'll be a star in MLB for years to come (subscription required).
Still, not everyone is happy about Anthony's contract. Radio hosts on 98.5 The Sports Hub offered their criticisms on the afternoon of the deal.
"What's he done so far?" host Marc Bertrand said. "Tell me what he's done."
He continued: "He hasn't even been a major league player for two months — that's what I'm talking about. So based on seven weeks of being in the major leagues, the Red Sox needed to sign him to a deal that buys out three or four years of free agency? That just tells you what they are, they're a bunch of cheap pr---s now."
Red Sox radio hosts blast Boston for early Roman Anthony contract extension
INSTANT REACTION: Roman Anthony and the Red Sox agree to an eight-year, $130 million contract extension that could reach up to $230 million, per Jeff Passan.@ZoandBertrand break it all down:@scottzolak @Tim_McKone @TMorgan985 @tylermilliken_ @_JakeSeymour pic.twitter.com/g3dYAMUxWR
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) August 6, 2025
In the same breath, Bertrand criticized the Red Sox for their early investment in a player while also judging them for not spending. If they didn't extend him so early, his impending free agency or a potential trade would be a huge topic throughout his career, given the Red Sox's past failings with homegrown stars. Yes, Boston extended Anthony early to get ahead of his value and to land a team-friendly deal, but if he becomes the player the Red Sox think he'll be, the investment will have been entirely worth it, and then some.
After a brief adjustment period following his call-up, Anthony has quickly become one of the hottest hitters in the big leagues. He's slashing .276/.392/.417 with 15 doubles, two triples and a homer on the season, with a .327/.431/.464 slash line in his last 30 games. His recent numbers are consistent with his performance at all levels of the minor leagues, and if he can perform this well in the majors as a rookie, his future is, more than likely, quite bright.
The Red Sox's early extensions have largely worked out for them so far. Bello has posted the best season of his career in his first year of a six-year, $55 million deal, and Rafaela is the best defensive outfielder in the major leagues, signed for eight years at $50 million. Their contracts are incredibly team-friendly, and had Boston waited until this season to sign them, their asking prices likely would've increased dramatically.
If Anthony maintains his recent offensive production and solid defense for the rest of this season, his contract price also would've spiked, and it would increase each year into his tenure. The Red Sox got ahead of his market and signed him for a team-friendly price to keep more of their finances freed up for future transactions. Whether John Henry and Craig Breslow actually spend the money is a different story, but their savings from getting Anthony signed early will be significant.
Henry doesn't need to save money, and that's one of Bertrand's main points — he has more than enough funds to sign Anthony before he was initially slated to hit free agency in six or seven years from now. But Henry spent the money, and he's spent on other stars this year, like Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet. It doesn't make sense to complain about Henry's lack of spending immediately after he committed at least $130 million and up to $230 million on someone.
Getting Anthony to sign early is undeniably a win for Boston. Henry doesn't need anyone to watch his money for him — he can sign Anthony while he's still unproven and still have more than enough cash to go around. The Red Sox staved off another potential Mookie Betts trade disaster and ensured themselves more financial freedom in the process, which can only be a good thing if Anthony has the career so many expect from him.