The Purple Sox locked up one other budding star, signing outfielder Roman Anthony to an eight-year extension masking the 2026-33 seasons with a membership choice for 2034. The Frontline Athlete Administration is reportedly assured $130MM on a deal that additionally consists of vital escalators primarily based on Rookie of the 12 months, MVP and All-Star voting.
Anthony receives a $5MM signing bonus. The wage breaks down as follows:
$2MM in 2026
$4MM in 2027
$8MM in 2028
$15MM in 2029
$19MM in 2030
$23MM in 2031
$25MM in 2032
$29MM in 2033
$34MM membership choice (no buyout) in 2034
The escalators apply to the 2032 and 2033 seasons. They’d additionally apply to the 2031 season if he finishes prime two in Rookie of the 12 months voting in 2025. Anthony’s salaries will improve by $1MM if he comes first or second in Rookie of the 12 months voting. The salaries would additionally improve 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 means of 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.
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 prime two in American League Rookie of the 12 months voting, he’d obtain a full yr of service for the present season, thus that means the deal would lock in three free-agent years with a membership choice over a fourth.
Whatever the actual variety of free-agent years being purchased out, the Sox now management Anthony all through 2034 — what will probably be his age-30 season. He’ll nonetheless be capable to grow to be a free agent forward of his age-31 marketing campaign, positioning him for one more potential nine-figure contract down the highway.
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 have been thought to be the highest prospect within the sport after they debuted of their age-21 seasons. Each discovered speedy success and rapidly signed eight-year offers starting with their age-22 seasons.
As could be seen in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, Anthony’s contract turns into the third-largest assure ever given out to a participant with underneath one yr of main league service time. Julio Rodriguez’s $210MM take care of the Mariners at the moment tops the checklist, 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 total decide within the 2022 draft, Anthony stormed by means of the minor leagues, breaking out with an enormous efficiency in Excessive-A as a 19-year-old and by no means wanting 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 means of Triple-A, and he’s carried over his excellent manufacturing by means of 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 charge and a 24.7% strikeout charge. 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 total energy output has been muted by a 55.4% ground-ball charge, 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 method and plethora of doubles is getting the job achieved simply fantastic; 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 wonderful swing choices. His 73.1% total contact charge and 81.6% contact charge on pitches inside the zone are each 4 factors under league-average, however Anthony’s chase charge on balls off the plate (simply 20.1%) is eight share 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 share, per Statcast.
On the defensive aspect of issues, Anthony has cut 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 stories on Anthony sometimes pegged him for a long-term dwelling 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 this point (+5 Defensive Runs Saved, +4 Outs Above Common). He provides the Sox one other gifted defender to affix 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 couple of potential commerce from the group. Duran and Abreu have seen their names kicked across the rumor mill relationship again to the offseason. Boston would certainly welcome the chance to flee a few of the remaining two-plus years on Yoshida’s five-year contract, which runs by means of 2027, however with $18.5MM salaries in every of the subsequent 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 Purple Sox.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the Purple Sox and Anthony have been finalizing an eight-year, $130MM take care of a membership choice for 2034. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported the $30MM choice worth. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe had the particular wage and escalator construction.
