There has been a lot of extension speculation surrounding Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony but he tells Rob Bradford of WEEI that no real progress has been made on that front. “There hasn’t even been a single peep about it since I’ve been here,” Anthony said. He also said “both sides have handled that well in terms of just letting me go and play.”
The Sox came into the year with three top prospects in Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell. There were extension rumors surrounding all three in the winter and Campbell eventually did put pen to paper, signing an eight-year, $60MM deal in early April.
A deal for Anthony might be a bit trickier than one for Campbell, as he is two years younger and was more of a highly-touted prospect on his way up the ladder. Anthony is currently only 21 years old. If he stays up in the minor leagues for good, he’s slated for free agency after the 2031 season, which will be his age-27 campaign.
That gives him a tremendous amount of earning power down the line, if he is able to develop as hoped. He has only hit .219/.345/.356 so far, but in a tiny sample of 87 plate appearances. If the Sox have faith in his ability to hit his ceiling, they will be motivated to lock him down as soon as possible. Otherwise, his earning power will only increase as he gets more established and closer to arbitration and free agency.
Though from the perspective of Anthony and his representatives, they surely see a path to a healthy free agent market a few years down the line and would need strong motivation to give up on that. For now, based on Anthony’s comments, it seems he’s primarily focused on his gameplay. Perhaps there will be more of a focus on contract talks in the offseason.
Elsewhere in news surrounding the Red Sox, Masataka Yoshida started a rehab assignment yesterday as he looks to finally return from ongoing shoulder problems. Part of that rehab appears to be some first base drills, though manager Álex Cora downplayed the significance of that work.
Per Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Cora framed the work as mostly Yoshida preparing for an emergency. “I don’t anticipate him starting at first base,” said Cora, “but if something crazy happens, at least he can catch throws and knock down a ground ball.”
Yoshida has only played the outfield in his career, both in North America and in Japan. However, the Sox currently have a fairly crowded mix on the grass consisting of Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Rob Refsnyder. Meanwhile, the club has been trying all sorts of things at first base since the Triston Casas injury. Rafael Devers didn’t want to play there, which led to his trade to San Francisco. Utility players Abraham Toro and Romy González have been splitting the time at first lately.
That gives some logic to having Yoshida get some work there. It also aligns with his injury, as he has largely been able to hit this year, but throwing has been the problem. With Devers having been in the designated hitter spot for much of the year, the inability to throw essentially made Yoshida unrosterable. Now that Devers is gone and Yoshida is getting healthy, he’s not quite as blocked from playing time as before, but adding first base to his repertoire still makes sense.
Speaking of roster shuffling, third baseman Alex Bregman could be back from the injured list soon. Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Cora hopes Bregman can return in the club’s homestand prior to the All-Star break, which goes from this Monday to next Sunday. Mayer has largely been covering that spot recently, so he could get moved to second base when Bregman returns. Campbell has been optioned to the minors, leaving David Hamilton at the keystone most nights. Hamilton is hitting just .174/.215/.278 this year, so he should get bumped to the bench or the minors.
Bregman was having a great season before a quad strain sent him to the IL, having hit .299/.385/.553 for a wRC+ of 158. That made him very likely to trigger his opt-out at the end of this season and return to free agency. If he can pick up where he left off, he would provide a big boost to the Boston lineup and also get back on track for triggering that opt out.
His contract situation has led to recent speculation in two different directions. With his looming potential return to free agency, there has been a bit of smoke on the trade front, while it also seems possible that the Sox could use some of the money saved in the Devers trade to lock up Bregman for the long term. They are currently 44-45 and 2.5 games back of a playoff spot.
Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images
This team will do ANYTHING to keep from having to obtain an actual first baseman
Torro and Gonzalez have been fine
Strange that someone can look at this team and think ‘Yeah, a first baseman is what this team is lacking’.
they’re both 4A players..
and both have been playing fine at the MLB level
Toro is hitting .294, Gonzo .304.
Agree 100% with Ace
And you see this as sustainable from two players who have never been able to sustain this level of play?
They may not have been given the opportunity. When the Sox got Ortiz he had not been the player he became for the Sox. We should not assume that every time someone plays above expectations it is a fluke and they are not going to continue to perform at a high level. That being said, if a star 1st baseman becomes available you are obviously going to consider going after them.
Toro got a chance last year, he’s about to fall off a cliff just like he did around this time last year
Toro has had plenty of chances.
I hope not. Have not followed him at all in the past, but sometimes a change of scenery can impact players like this.
Who is the “actual” 1B that they are supposed to obtain?
Toro and Gonzalez have combined to give us a 126 OPS+. What 1B that is on the trading block has been better than they have?
Anthony Rizzo is a free agent.He is a First baseman.Former Red Sox Guy.
Rizzo has never recovered from that last concussion.
Darragh, don’t you mean if Anthony stays up in the MAJOR leagues? Proofread!
what’s the rush to pay these guys? at least wait until they have 2 years under they’re belts.
The less of a track record the player has, the less leverage he has in negotiations, and the more likely he is to be enticed by the idea of making bank before he’s eligible for arbitration, let alone free agency.
You’re talking about a $70-$100M difference in waiting two years, that’s the rush. The Cubs were close to signing PCA in spring training at $75M (would’ve bought two years FA). Now you’re talking $150M and it’s been 4 months. That’s the rush. If they perform close to their potential the cost literally skyrockets and after two years if they’re super two eligible they won’t sign b/c they’ll make Juan Soto arbitration money going year to year. Now, significant risk if they’re super two don’t pan out and you’ve committed that much future money.
Do you really not understand why there’s a rush? Yeah, maybe the Braves should have waited a couple more years before extending Acuna. Perhaps the D-Backs should just now be contemplating a long-term deal for Corbin Carroll.
Hank – Bad examples. Braves WAITED until both Acuna and Strider had at least one solid year in the majors before extending them.
In general, giving the big extension before one good MLB season is idiotic.
And didn’t you push for a Casas extension more than a year ago?
Quoting the article above…
“There hasn’t even been a single peep about it since I’ve been here,” Anthony said. He also said “both sides have handled that well in terms of just letting me go and play.”
I read that to say, “Ummm, no. Ima gonna make bank’
So you read it as though Anthony talks like a moron?
DBH – And that’s why he was held down in AAA this year.
The rush is the difference between giving out an Acuna contract and a Soto contract.
Acuna is paid through age 30.
Soto is paid through age 40.
And in order to get age 26-30 with Soto you had to pay for ages 30-40 (since he wasn’t extended). So I feel you are missing the point
ok so Abreu has 2 years under his belt and already won a gold glove in right. The sox should lock him up for much longer than 2029 he is under control for. I think he has really grown tremendously this year and will be a big time player for the next 8 -10 years.
They don’t miss the cancer (Devers)
They definitely miss his bat. Just not his attitude.
He’s going to miss Fenway Park, the longer he has to hit in whatever they’re calling the Giants’ park these days.
.215 with 26 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances with SF. Yeah, he’s really killing it over there.
The cancer is Breslow.
No…. It’s Cora
Cora is not the one in control of who stays and who goes. He can mismanage the team, but it is ownership that controls the spending.
Maybe once he shows he could hit more than .200 in the majors!
He has been vastly improved over the last couple weeks, just looking at his overall numbers does not tell you the whole story. He js going to be just fine.
This. He’s hitting. 258 since being moved to the 2nd spot in the order and i could see him getting better pitches to hit when Bregman returns to the lineup in the 3rd spot
He is hitting .379 the past 7 games.
What is with all the hate for the kids?
Why do so many people list BA when discussing a player’s hitting? OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, and wRC+ all tell a lot more than BA.
gbd – since 6/18 he has a 145 wRC+ and over the last 10 days it’s 182.
@gbs. I list BA first, like most stat sites, for a reason…
.379 ba says it all. If you’re hitting near .400, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, wRC, and LMNOPQ+/-% squared al are all fine
DBH,
That .379 BA says a lot, though his .448 OBP and .538 SLG (4 doubles) tell us even more. There are degrees of “fine.” He could be hitting .379/.379/.379, which isn’t as good.
Of course, any 7-game stretch doesn’t say all that much, even if you look at LMNOPQ+/-.
DBH – Yes and with a .990 OPS.
Seriously, doesn’t anyone here actually watch the games? Roman has been hitting the cover off the ball for over a week. Even prior to that he was working the count and making loud outs.
I’m most impressed with his plate discipline. Watching every game myself, for a very young player he has looked in control of the zone and not overwhelmed. He’s hit many balls hard that have been outs. I believe it’s just a matter of time until he consistently hits like the last 7 games. I also think Mayer is just behind him in the same areas.
I’m old school and watch the player, not 75 different metrics.
Anthony and Mayer are going to be around a long time barring injury.
I’ve never understood the Campbell situation though, he’s never had the same plate presence as the other two or the discipline, and spring training showed us he wasn’t ready.
I don’t mind locking him up, or locking up your fav player Ceddane lol.
I’d like to see Anthony and Mayer get locked up asap as well.
KC will be back up, I’m just not sure he is actually ready for MLB.
Cdr – Old school is now new school.
Teams have finally realized the 3-true-outcome thing was a load of crap created and promoted by the Breslow types who believed they invented a new better approach.
GREAT article right here!
usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/gabe-lacqu…
cdr,
I don’t live near Boston, I can’t watch every player, and I’m not a scout, so I use various metrics to help me evaluate player performance. Old school and new school should be partnered together to give a whole picture.
FPG,
No team wanted 3 true outcomes from their batters. They wanted 2, homers and walks, and they thought strikeouts had to be a part of that equation. Just like lots has been learned about pitching the last several seasons, the same has been happening with hitting.
The game continues to evolve and always will. Babe Ruth changed things massively 100 years ago as the original TTO hitter, Rickey Henderson had a smaller effect, one-inning dedicated closers were standard for a few decades. Who knows what’s next? Hopefully big breakthroughs in keeping players healthy.
I’m in FL, so I watch on MLB.com. Last at Fenway 2 years ago though.
Thanks, I’ll go check that article out. Ceddane with the BLAST!
Gbs – My only criticism is when the analytics folks caused a wave of group-think that strikeouts aren’t worse than any other type of outs, and are worth it because of the uptick in homeruns.
Seems like every decade a new group thinks they invented a great new approach, and inevitably it is abandoned after being proven false.
It’s more about egos trying to force change for the sake of change than anything else.
FPG – Strikeouts are only marginally worse than other types of outs. Sure, runners can’t advance and the defense doesn’t have the chance to misplay the ball, but there’s also no chance of a double play. It depends on the situation.
New approaches come and go. Some things stick, some don’t. The game constantly evolves.
Egos certainly are a big part of things. Ivy Leaguers think they have all the answers with their business school backgrounds, while old-school folks think their eyes can tell them everything and new information is useless. Blend the perspectives, and it’s a win-win.
gbs – Agreed on the doubleplay, I’ve said that before.
I just find it amusing that every time there’s a hot new approach, it convinces people that the previous hot new approach was wrong.
Bill James was a trailblazer in analytics …. until he became shunned by the analytics community and much of his work discredited.
Don’t get me wrong, change can be very good …. it’s just difficult to understand why a new approach that has been proven to be effective (ie: high OBP.) suddenly becomes a bad thing.
And I totally agree, I’ve always supported a blend. Even analytics guys like Theo have emphasized a blend.
Which is why Breslow firing a bunch of highly successful longtime scouts and stopping the practice of in-person player evaluation seems crazy to me. Same with him saying the team won’t be throwing fastballs anymore. He’s taking it way too far to the extreme.
Yup – Breslow is proving to be way too “new age” for my liking. As with most arguments in life the truth is in the middle – traditional scouting is invaluable and modern statistical analysis can tell us things that help complete the full picture and help set guys up for their best chance to succeed.
What we are watching with the Breslow types vs. the Epstein types is knowledge vs. wisdom. Knowledge can tell you anything, but that doesn’t mean the output is going to be useful or coherent. Wisdom is taking the best of both approaches and blending them harmoniously to create a player development juggernaut.
Amazing that Refsnyder is only 30. He’s been around so long, I thought he was maybe 36 or 37.
He’s 34…
Correct. My error.
So it would be amazing if he was 30.
They should legitimately give Yoshida some in-game reps at First Base during his rehab to help stretch the lineup that much more. When he and Bregman come back two players need to go. Eaton is likely one and either Anthony or Hamilton is the other, unless Duran is traded by the time Yoshida is ready
I would think Refsnyder would go. Why keep him over a young guy on a non-contending team?
Because Anthony/Duran/Abreu/Yoshida are all LH hitters and Refsnyder hammers LH pitching
But why keep him at all if they decide to sell and look toward next year?
He’s been so good for them as a platoon outfielder the past couple of years that they may want to make an effort to retain him.
So trade him, and re-sign him in free agency.
HBan22: But why if they’re not contending this year?
Blue – that would make sense IF they decide they’re sellers, but right now they are 2.5 games out of a wild card spot and about to get two of their best hitters back. I don’t think they view themselves as sellers at this point.
People are actually seeing this team has been in contention.They blame Breslow,Cora and Henry but here we are still in a pennant race.
The team is better than the sum of its parts but as Dave O’Brien and Lou Merloni said yesterday; its not a typical Red Sox team without a pair of sluggers in the middle of the lineup. Teams don’t fear the longball with this team so they have to make good contact and be aggressive on the basepath to manufacture runs
There’s nothing wrong with building a team full of guys who get on base and can run, you can score a ton of runs that way, they just need to be willing to play to their skillset. The problem is building a team like that and then trying to get them to hit a bunch of home runs anyway.
Hamilton has been in the majors on and off for a couple of years and really only has speed to offer. He has not figured out how to hit major league pitching. Refsnyder has more value overall to the team.
Red Sox are .500 and just 2.5 gb in WC race. They are a contending team.
Fire Sogard into the sun. He’s Cora’s pet. For all the analytics, there’s always one or two guys you have to trade to the Angels just so Cora won’t use them ever. It’s ridiculous
Felt they had to go 7-3 in last 10 before ASG.. to be buyers for sure.. if not chappy/ Lucas.G could get something interesting in return I feel… If Walker has good last 2 who knows, A shame.. beginning of year was promising but Tanner/,Crawford/ and other injuries have taken the gas out of the zeppelin….
They’re not dead yet.
Hayzee – I’m feeling really good the way Crochet, Gio and Bello are pitching.
Hope I didn’t just jinx them.
FPG
Giolito is certainly on a heater. 5 excellent starts in a row. I just read several articles on his contract situation. ( Mass live & Spotrac )If he reaches 140 innings, mutual option that will take it to $19 million That will be a bargain as long as he continues to pitch well. It’s a complicated and confusing deal. Also Rob Bradford, who I enjoy and respect says the Sox did not have injury insurance for Giolitos contract, which I find odd .
FPG: You should be old enough to have learned that nothing fans say or do affects outcomes on the field.
That’s why, for example, those ridiculous rally caps only seem to work when the players and team actually, you know, come from behind on the field.
It’s the players, not the fans.
Cdc – Last offseason I said Gio and Story would have rebound seasons, so far so good!
If Gio keeps pitching like he has, no chance he’ll accept any option. Mutual options are almost never accepted by both parties.
Blue – Any time anyone mentions jinx, it’s said lighthearted.
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
FPG
I am having difficulty understanding the terms of the deal. Can he become a free agent after this season if he reaches 140 IP ? $14 million goes to $19 million if he opts out ? ???? If he continues to pitch effectively the Sox will want to keep him and will (try ) to manipulate his innings.
Blue Baron, you’re wrong. I was the best man at a wedding between a Yankees fan and a Red Sox fan on the day Nomar was traded. Clearly, THAT is why they won it all that year.
Last night, Raphael Devers was pinch hit for by the backup catcher. Ouch, that ego took a hit. Giants are, now, 6-11 since his arrival. Playing almost exclusively against sub-.500 teams. Panick is settling in like fog on the SF Bay.
Red Sox dodged a huge bullet when they got the G-Men to take that contract off their books.
73 games left in the season, Reggie.
*Against a much tougher schedule.
Reggie: Don’t PANIC about PANICK or Joe PANIK. Google is your friend, and free to use.
I also used an extra COMMA, in a place where COMMMAs arent COMMONly used. You missed that one Grandma Teacher.
Good for you. You want a medal or a monument, Karen?
You’re attacking a misspell and you think someone else is the Karen.?
Goodbye, go harass other people, I’d rather talk baseball.
Devers got off to a slow start this spring because he got in his head about the position change. He is probably trying too hard to try to show he was worth trading for and is in his head again. He will start hitting again once he settles down. He may not put up the same numbers in that stadium, but he will still be a productive hitter.
Decide whether Duran is the answer for the
RS on the bases and in LF. If so, sign him for long term. You will have your outfield for years if you sign Abreu and Duran. Teach Anthony the mechanics.of first base.and Campbell to play second base. You have found a catcher. Let the pitching develop in the minors. You can be set for 6-10 years!
f
Why move Mayer to second? Why not Story? Mayer is the future, let him play his natural position.
Grogan – Hasn’t there been enough moving around already? Mayer will take over SS after Story is gone or starts declining.
FPG: Story started declining in 2022. That ship is sailing the high seas.
Bregman is likely to spend some time at DH upon his return, and if you shift Story to 2B and Mayer to SS, you’re shuffling both guys around every time you want to get Bregman rest; with Mayer at 2B he’s the only one who has to move to get Bregman rest. It’s a more consistent alignment and with Story finally turning it back on I would mess with him as little as possible.
If you could put Story at 2B and just leave him there, I think that’s absolutely the move to make, but I don’t think the Sox are in that position yet.
Buehler has to show us something in this game. Got to believe he is pitching for his spot in the rotation. His road era is an unsightly 9.49 to go along with 9 hrs allowed in 30.1 innings Cora cannot keep running him out there with these results. The time is now to turn it around. I have admitted I did like this signing at the time. So far, so wrong.
Cdc – I’m big into stocks, baseball players are very similar.
When you buy a crashing stock and hope it turns upward right away, that’s called “Trying to catch a falling knife”. Much more often than not, you’ll end up cut and bleeding.
Same thing with pitchers coming off a horrible season after TJS, which was Buehler.It was a bad idea to sign him for $21M and expect him to perform well. Same with Gio, Liam, Paxton, etc.
Buehler definitely showed improvement yesterday. Helped greatly by some outstanding outfield defense. No walks but he did throw a bunch of pitches (100) for 5 innings. Bullpen was good also. Love watching Duran turn 2ndbase and head for 3rd. Rafaela , after a big June looks to be continuing his good form. Crochet for the sweep. Nats & Rox ,these are the teams the Sox must be at.
Cdc – Not to be Debbie Downer but it’s the Nats, only 2 of the hitters has an OPS above .709 LOL!
Let’s see how he does against Tampa.
Same with Rafaela, patience my friend :o)
It’s the defense that is hurting them regardless of the opponent.
C’mon FPG, I will take this kind of start from Buehler. A # 5 starter kind of start. Obviously not what I had envisioned from him to begin with, but at least he wasn’t shelled.
Can you tell me about Giolitos contract? I am having difficulty understanding it. Is he going to be a free agent ? Can he be locked in at $19 million? ,if he reaches 140 innings? $14 if he doesn’t.
I did see Houck pitch effectively vs AA competition. P.Tolle also pitched well relieving him . He is the guy to get excited about in possibly the near future.
Rafaela reminds me of one of my favorite Sox of the past, Coco Crisp. Great glove , good bat. Some power. I really enjoy guys who bring it with the glove. JBJ.
cdc – Okay let me rephrase about Buehler …. I will also take this kind of start from him, as long as it’s not against one of the four worst teams in MLB ;O)
So here’s the deal with Gio ….. if he doesn’t pitch at least 140 innings, the Sox have a $14M option on him next year or can choose a $1.5M buyout.
If he does pitch at least 140 innings, the club option converts to a $19M mutual option also with a $1.5M buyout.
So it’s probably safe to say if he doesn’t reach 140 innings and doesn’t sustain a serious injury and doesn’t pitch bad the remainder of the season, the Sox will pick up that club option.
It’s probably also safe to say if he does pitch 140 innings and stays healthy and continues to pitch well then he will decline the mutual option and take the $1.5M buyout and either become a free agent or renegotiate a new contract with the Sox. And who knows, maybe they will renegotiate a new contract before the season ends.
So there’s a lot of “if-then”‘s there …. kinda like an Excel formula! LOL!
Hope you had a great holiday weekend. I just got back from South Jersey, had a wonderful time with perfect weather. It was tempting to drive the couple hours to see the Sox in DC, but my wife wasn’t having it. LOL
cdc – I think we all like 5-tool players, and Rafaela has been compared to Mookie for years.
I’ve always said if Rafaela can just have at least a .750 OPS and maintain that great defense, I’d be ecstatic.
Maybe he’s finally started listening to the coaches?
Coco made one of the greatest catches I’ve ever seen, he left his feet and was extended horizontally midair like a shortstop while snagging a line drive to the gap that was actually behind him when he caught it. Simply amazing!
And his Matrix punch avoidance in the fight with the Rays was unforgettable!
I liked it too, but if he gets hit today, I’d rather see anyone out there other than him next time. Criswell would even be a better option,
Dobbins is returning soon Maybe Houck , though I believe there pitching him out of the pen in Worcester. I’m fairly certain he has been in the dugout recently. I don’t like bullpen games, hopefully he finds something this afternoon to get the job done.
Just heard the Sox lineup today…. WTH is this????????
The Nats have a LH SP and the Red Sox lineup is stacked with RH batters.
Cdc – Facing a lefty, so playing the guys who mash against lefties.
Certainly worked out fine
Yoshi is terrible at everything except hitting, but he is a good enough teammate to pick up a glove and at least try taking grounders at 1B. That is how you do it Devers.
The American league is wide open. Sox should add, but not desperately since the future is bright.
Like a Steve Pierce signing would be just fine!