Roman Anthony has been in the big leagues for nearly two months, and the Boston Red Sox have, understandably, liked what they've seen. The Red Sox and Anthony on August 6 agreed to a deal that will keep him in Boston for a long time.
The Red Sox and Anthony are finalizing an eight-year, $130 million extension, first reported by MLB insider Jeff Passan. The deal will begin in 2026 and it contains escalators that could lift the maximum value to $230 million. Anthony could also hit free agency sooner, depending on where he finishes in the Rookie of the Year race.
Anthony's extension came out of nowhere, as there had been little smoke that he and the Red Sox were discussing a long-term contract. Boston hadn't approached him about a long-term deal at the time of Kristian Campbell's extension.
Anthony is the second of the "Big Three" prospects to sign with the Red Sox long-term, and the extension is another huge step toward keeping their young core together for a long time. Campbell also signed an eight-year contract extension at the beginning of the season, but his is for $60 million. Anthony is the second outfielder the Red Sox have extended in as many years — he and Ceddanne Rafaela will star in the pastures into the early 2030s.
The Red Sox and Roman Anthony have agreed to an eight-year, $130 million extension
First of many. pic.twitter.com/LS9pzLwQPJ
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 2, 2025
It's no wonder Boston jumped to sign Anthony early. He's only been in the major leagues since June and he's already one of the most consistent and mature-looking hitters in the Red Sox's lineup. He's batting .283/.400/.428 with an .828 OPS with 15 doubles, a triple and two homers over 46 games. His slash line is bogged down by an early adjustment period to the big leagues, and Anthony has been an unstoppable force at the plate in the last month. He's batting .348/.447/.500 in his last 30 games.
Anthony's breakout has been a huge part of the great vibes around the Red Sox in recent weeks. He's been on base four times in multiple games since Boston's lackluster trade deadline performance, and he netted his first walk-off against the first-place Astros less than a week before he inked his long-term deal.
Just months after trading Rafael Devers, the Red Sox have already begun putting his contract money to good use. There's still work to be done to build the team around him — like extending Alex Bregman and trading for Joe Ryan, for example — but signing Anthony is a great step in the right direction for Boston.