The Red Sox locked up a major piece of their future, agreeing to terms with former No. 1 overall prospect Roman Anthony on an eight-year, $130 million contract with escalators that could increase the overall value to $230 million. Anthony has slashed .276/.392/.417 in his first 47 games with the Red Sox after tearing up the minor leagues. Of course, everyone had an opinion on Anthony's contract extension, including 16-year MLB GM Jim Bowden, who suggested Anthony received a contract below what he might be worth elsewhere.
Ex-MLB GM Has Strong Words For Roman Anthony After $130 Million Contract Extension originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Red Sox locked up a major piece of their future, agreeing to terms with former No. 1 overall prospect Roman Anthony on an eight-year, $130 million contract with escalators that could increase the overall value to $230 million.
Anthony has slashed .276/.392/.417 in his first 47 games with the Red Sox after tearing up the minor leagues. The 21-year-old agreed to a strong payout which keeps him in Boston until his age-30 season.
Of course, everyone had an opinion on Anthony's contract extension, including 16-year MLB GM Jim Bowden, who suggested Anthony received a contract below what he might be worth elsewhere.
In an appearance on the Foul Territory show, Bowden said that Anthony's deal puts him at the top of his class in the early years of the contract, but may have left some money on the table in the later years of the deal.
"I cannot believe Roman Anthony left that much money on the table, I'm actually in a state of shock," Bowden said. "I don't understand how you can sit there, and watch Ronald Acuña Jr, and watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and see the difference between the two.
"Right now, in the bank, Vladimir Guerrero Jr is guaranteed $570 million in earnings. Ronald Acuña Jr, similar talent, should be paid similarly, has $100 million," Bowden added. "There's a difference of $470 million, and Roman Anthony just signed a Ronald Acuña kind of deal."
Bowden's words are harsh, aimed at Anthony's team. The 21-year-old clearly loves it in Boston, but Bowden's point stands, which is that if Anthony feels his ceiling is among the top 10, or even five players in baseball, he took a massive paycut to be with Boston for the rest of his twenties.
That being said, if Anthony's production were to fall off a cliff tomorrow, as it very well could given the unpredictability of baseball, then he's locked himself into a sweet pay-day.
$4 million of Anthony's bonuses in the later years of the deal hinge on a first or second place finish in this year's Rookie of the Year race, per Spotrac. Anthony would make $2 million for every AL MVP he wins, or $1 million for every second or third-place finish in the voting.
The guaranteed salary does feel like a steal for the Red Sox, but it might not be for a very promising young prospect.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
