The Boston Red Sox were in flux due to their outfield logjam. Teams reportedly wanted Wilyer Abreu over Jarren Duran in trade talks, and the Red Sox didn't want to pull the trigger. He was all but confirmed to be untouchable in their eyes.
Now, this recent news revealed by Tim Healey from the Boston Globe sheds light on these reports.
"Two years ago, during the spring training prior to Abreu’s rookie season, they approached him about a lengthy commitment and financial guarantee — a rare conversation that early in a career.
He was curious. And he listened. But he said no thank you."
This shows the vision the Red Sox hold. They want to extend their young stars to smart, buy-low deals, using analytical projection to determine their overall salaries. From my recent discoveries, Liberty Media did this with the Atlanta Braves, extending the likes of Michael Harris, Austin Riley, and Ronald Acuña Jr. to long-term deals with low-risk salaries that benefit their window in the long run.
When Craig Breslow was hired as CBO for the Red Sox, he opened the checkbooks right away when it involved their young stars.
He started throwing extensions around in 2024, first towards Brayan Bello in spring training, with a six-year, $55 million extension. Then, on April 10, they got Ceddanne Rafaela to agree to an eight-year, $50 million extension.
In 2025, Breslow got further into the frenzy. He extended newly acquired ace pitcher Garrett Crochet for six years and $170 million, stretching his Red Sox tenure until 2032. He does have an opt-out for 2030, so the duration of his tenure will be determined then. Not even two days after the Crochet extension, the Red Sox agreed on a deal with top prospect Kristian Campbell, inking him to an eight-year, $60 million extension.
Then came the emergence of stud outfielder Roman Anthony. He got called up in June and started mashing the ball in July after a slow start, batting .330 with 32 hits in 97 at-bats, recording 10 doubles and 13 RBIs. Right then, Breslow got busy.
Breslow proceeded to open the team's checkbook again, and a deal was done. Roman Anthony would be a Red Sox for the foreseeable future; eight years, worth $130 million, with a club option for 2034 that's worth $30 million.
While Boston fans tend to overlook this fact in favor of the bigger headlines of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers' departures, which are justified, they still don't take into account how much their young players are now being valued. This was something that former President of Baseball Ops Chaim Bloom was hesitant to do, especially after having to put them in a weird transition period after the Mookie Betts trade.
With more players looking to get an extension soon, like Jarren Duran, Marcelo Mayer, and Carlos Narvaez, Breslow's going to have a field day.
Don't be shocked if Narvaez gets an extension as soon as this Spring Training. If not, pay attention this year to see if his performance is the same as last year's.