BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 6: Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy speaks alongside Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox and Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow during a press conference announcing his 8-year $130 million contract extension before a game against the Kansas City Royals on August 6, 2025 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)Getty Images
BOSTON — When a team invests the kind of money the Red Sox are investing in Roman Anthony — at minimum $130 million, and perhaps as much as $230 million over the next eight years — it’s largely transactional.
The team gets cost certainty and by buying out at least two free agent seasons with an option for a third, a chance to control a potentially elite player longer than they otherwise would. The player, meanwhile, gets economic security that last for several generations.
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