BOSTON — Roman Anthony’s complicated, groundbreaking extension with the Red Sox is official — and its value will largely be determined by how he performs over the next decade.
“You might need a PDF,” joked a baseball source with knowledge of the deal’s specifics.
Anthony is guaranteed an eight-year, $130 million contract that begins in 2026 and runs through 2033, according to a baseball source. Boston then will hold a $30 million club option over him for the 2034 season. Escalators in the deal based on Rookie of the Year consideration (in 2025) and American League MVP voting in future seasons can significantly raise the contract’s value — all the way to $230 million — by impacting his salary in the back half of the deal, beginning in 2031. There is $70 million in earning potential based on awards voting and, in a smaller way, All-Star appearances.
The contract terms show Boston’s belief in Anthony’s ceiling as a player.
“For me, as a player and as a competitor, I believe in myself every single day,” Anthony said. “I don’t know what the future holds but I do believe I will be the best version of myself every single day. For me, it was a deal that was obviously more than enough for me and my family in a place where I want to be. Those escalators just give me a chance to continue to grind every day, help this team win and be the best version of myself I can be each and every day.”
The escalators pertain to his 2031, 2032 and 2033 salaries as well as the 2034 option. If Anthony wins Rookie of the Year this season or finishes second, he’d have his salaries in the three guaranteed years escalated by $1 million (and the option by $2 million). He’d have those four years escalated by $2 million for each American League MVP win and by lesser amounts on a sliding scale based on finish ($1 million for each second or third place finish, $750,000 for each fourth or fifth place finish and $500,000 for each year he finishes between sixth and 10th). Anthony would also have his salaries from 2031-2034 grow by $200,000 for each All-Star appearance in previous years.
The previously reported $230 million maximum would only kick into gear if Anthony were to win the MVP award every year, finish in the top two in this year’s Rookie of the Year voting and be an All-Star in each season. A top-two Rookie of the Year finish this year would earn him an additional $3 million guarantee (plus his club option would rise by $2 million). Any MVP Anthony wins during his deal would guarantee him an additional $6 million (plus his club option would rise by $2 million).
Anthony, who is making the major league minimum this season, will get a $5 million signing bonus. He’ll earn $2 million next year, $4 million in 2027 and $8 million in 2028. In 2029, his salary jumps to $15 million, covering an arbitration year, and in 2030, he’ll earn $19 million. His 2031 salary is $23 million and he’ll earn $25 million in 2032 and $29 million in 2033. There is no buyout on the club option that would raise the value to $160 million over nine seasons before escalators. For now, the competitive balance tax (CBT) hit on the contract is $16.25 million per season, beginning in 2026. That figure, based on average annual value, would rise if escalators are met.
Anthony’s schedule to reach free agency depends on how he fares in this year’s AL Rookie of the Year voting. If he finishes first or second, as per the conditions of the last collective bargaining agreement, he’ll be rewarded a full year of service time for 2025 despite not debuting until June 9. In that case, he would have been on track to hit free agency after 2030. A third-place finish or worse in the Rookie of the Year voting would put him on track to hit free agency after 2031. The deal, then, either buys out three or four years of free agency depending on where he finishes. In any case, it extends Boston’s control over its star rookie through his age-30 season in 2034.
“It took a team to get this done,” said Anthony. “I couldn’t think of a better city to play in for the next eight to nine years of my life and I’m super excited.”
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