The Boston Red Sox have had plenty of storylines this season. But while Garrett Crochet’s emergence as an ace, the never-ending search for a first baseman and a mid-season revival have grabbed headlines, there’s little doubt that this season has been all about “The Big Three.”
That moniker has been used to describe the trio of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer. When they reported for Spring Training, Red Sox fans were anxious to know how soon they would be called up. When Campbell raked early in the majors, the attention turned to Anthony’s dismantling of Triple-A. When Mayer joined the group, the future was officially now and the Red Sox became American League contenders.
The Red Sox front office has acted accordingly, signing Campbell to an eight-year, $60 million contract extension in April and Anthony to an eight-year, $130 million extension this week. It makes Craig Breslow’s next move obvious as he secures the future of Boston baseball.
Marcelo Mayer Will Be the Next Red Sox Player to Sign a Massive Extension
The Red Sox have made a habit of signing young players early and buying out free agency. Brayan Bello is signed through the 2030 season and Ceddane Rafaela is under contract through the 2031 season. Even Crochet signed on the dotted line immediately after arriving in Boston, agreeing to a six-year, $170 million extension.
This tendency tips Breslow’s hand and could mean a big pay day for Mayer. The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Mayer has been one of baseball’s top prospects from the time he entered minor league baseball. He’s hit .273/.360/.466 with 46 homers, 205 RBI and 48 stolen bases on 56 attempts over five minor league seasons and has performed admirably in his rookie season with a .228/.272/.402 batter’s line with four homers and 10 RBI in 44 games.
At 22 years old, Mayer is oozing upside as he gets comfortable at the major league level. But his case for a new contract is complicated by his injury history. Mayer suffered a right wrist injury during his first full season of professional baseball in 2022 and saw his 2023 season come to an early end with a left-shoulder impingement. A lumbar strain led to season-ending surgery in 2024 and Mayer has dealt with another wrist issue this season.
That list of injuries has limited Mayer to just over 83 games per season, excluding a 26-game stint with the Red Sox's Florida State League team in 2021, and could be a reason why Mayer told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo that negotiations have not begun on a contract extension as of this week.
“I’m not really focused on that right now,” Mayer said. “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now trying to get back on the field with my wrist and stuff.”
Even if Mayer has tunnel vision, his agent probably has a wide-scale view of what his next contract could be. The Athletic’s Tim Britton highlighted how stars such as Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners, Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres and Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks cashed in with a less than a year’s worth of service time and it could benefit the Red Sox to strike a deal now to help Mayer avoid “Super Two” status.
“Why does this matter? Because an extension is built off what you project a player to make in arbitration and a Super Two player gets another bite at the apple to make more,” Britton wrote. “The record total earnings in arbitration for Super Two position player are $79.6 million (Juan Soto); for a non-Super Two player, it’s $57.5 million (Mookie Betts).
“Wheich means that even if Boston expected Anthony to match Betts’ total in arbitration, it’s valuing two free-agent years at about $70 million total (or three at about $100 million, if the club option is exercised).”
Saving some money could help Boston avoid a headache down the road and also lock Mayer into a core that he’s excited to play with in future years. It’s a win-win for both sides and should rocket to the top of the Red Sox’s to-do list either in the final two months or the upcoming offseason.