The Atlanta Braves have become a model franchise over the last few years. Unfortunately, they've hit a speed bump in 2025, but they still have one of the best core teams in baseball. This influence, especially when it comes to contract extensions, has continued to spread among other MLB teams.
Most recently, the Boston Red Sox locked up one of their young talents with a long-term extension. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Roman Anthony is in agreement on an eight-year, $130 million contract (pending physical).
According to reports, this deal includes a club option that keeps him under team control through 2034. It also features escalators that could potentially earn him $230 million over that time span.
BREAKING: Outfielder Roman Anthony and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing an eight-year, $130 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. The deal, which is pending a physical, includes a club option and will keep Anthony under team control through 2034.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 6, 2025
Red Sox close to inking Roman Anthony extension that looks suspiciously familiar to Braves fans
Anthony has been very impressive this season and is a leading contender for AL Rookie of the Year. Locking him up this soon is a risk, as they're banking on him continuing this over the next almost decade.
Braves fans should be very familiar with this method as Atlanta has done this with numerous young players over the last few seasons. Obvious examples include Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Spencer Strider.
While these deals help buy out arbitration years and helps players focus on performing, it doesn't guarantee success. There is a massive amount of risk involved at making these long-term deals so soon.
The closest example Atlanta has to what Boston is doing here is probably Michael Harris II. He was signed to an eight-year, $75 million extension in 2022. However, he has struggled mightily over the last couple of years since signing that contract.
He has slowly turned things around with a recent change to his batting stance. So, there's still hope he can turn things around and make the deal worth the risk they took.
There's no guarantee any young player will sustain their early success. Adjustments have to be made as the league gets used to them. This is a huge investment by the Red Sox and they'll hope Anthony proves them right in the end.