The Boston Red Sox made a huge commitment on Wednesday when the team finalized an eight-year $130 million contract extension with rookie outfielder Roman Anthony that will keep the talented young slugger in a Red Sox uniform for a very long time.
The deal, which could reach $230 million with escalator clauses built in, seemingly came out of nowhere, and with Anthony now in the fold until at least the 2034 season, the Red Sox’s young core is mostly locked up for the foreseeable future.
News of Anthony’s contract extension moved like wildfire through social media and beyond, with former Red Sox catcher and Foul Territory podcast co-host A. J. Pierzynski considering it a win-win for both sides. But not everyone agrees with Pierzynski’s take. Former Major League Baseball general manager and current Athletic writer Jim Bowden was a guest on the show and believes that Anthony left too much salary on the table by accepting Boston’s contract terms.
“I cannot believe Roman Anthony left that much money on the table,” said Bowden. “I’m actually in a state of shock. 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? I mean, right now in the bank, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is guaranteed $570,800,000 in earnings. Ronald Acuña Jr., a similar talent, should be paid similarly. Has $100 million, so there’s a difference of $470 million between the two, and Roman Anthony just signed an Acuña Jr. deal.”
With the deal already signed, Bowden was complimentary of Red Sox ownership when assessing what he believes has saved the team $100 million during the final two years of Anthony’s contract.
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“I understand it’s really hard to turn down $130 million. I also understand that he’ll be a free agent again at age 29, and he’ll have a chance to get that $700- $800 million deal by then,” said Bowden. “I get the thinking behind it, but not when there’s that much money on the table. The last two years of this deal alone, he left at least $100 million on the table. $100 million, which is almost exactly what he’s signing for. So you know, kudos to Craig Breslow and John Henry and Theo Epstein and Tom Werner and everyone else who was able to do this, because it’s going to help you down the road.”
