Red Sox surprise fans by handing out massive contract

The Boston Red Sox have been criticized in recent years for their unwillingness to spend money, but they surprised many fans when they handed out a massive contract extension on Wednesday.

The Red Sox have agreed to an 8-year, $130 million contract extension with young star outfielder Roman Anthony, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Anthony will be under team control through 2034 when the deal is finalized.

Anthony entered the season as the top overall prospect in baseball. The 21-year-old made his MLB debut on June 9, and he has helped turn things around for a Red Sox team that struggled throughout much of the first half of the season.

Through 46 games, Anthony is batting .283 with 2 home runs, 19 RBI and an OPS of .828. He has sat out the last two games because of tightness in his back.

The Red Sox have failed to keep many of their recent home-grown prospects, which has angered fans. They traded both Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts rather than paying them. They then decided to give Rafael Devers a 10-year, $313 million deal ahead of the 2023 season, but they traded the slugger in a stunning move earlier this season.

Boston has been much better since trading Devers and entered Wednesday on a seven-game winning streak. They are just 3 games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and are atop the AL Wild Card race.

The hope with signing Anthony is that the contract will wind up being a bargain. If Anthony lives up to expectations, it certainly will be.