An old adage is that you can never have too much of a good thing. But that saying probably wasn’t coined while looking at the Boston Red Sox depth chart.
The Red Sox are loaded in the outfield and made a move on Wednesday to make sure that stays the case. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Boston is finalizing an eight-year, $130 million contract extension with Roman Anthony. The deal also includes a club option and incentives that could push the total value up to $230 million, ensuring that Anthony will stay with the Red Sox through 2034.
While some Red Sox fans may cautiously celebrate the contract, it creates some mixed feelings inside the clubhouse. With several complementary pieces available, Anthony’s deal could force the president of baseball operations, Craig Breslow, to make a difficult decision as soon as this winter.
Wilyer Abreu’s Days with Red Sox Are Numbered After Roman Anthony’s Extension
At first glance, Red Sox fans may see Anthony’s deal and think that Jarren Duran is on the way out of Boston. Trade rumors circled around the former All-Star throughout the build to the trade deadline, and it seems that the Red Sox would want to keep their young core to fully blossom at the major league level.
But while Duran is an enticing trade chip, it may be Wilyer Abreu that’s sent out by the time the 2026 season begins. Abreu is a cheap asset and has already racked up 7.0 wins above replacement in his first three seasons. He is also a reigning Gold Glove winner and may be on his way to a second one, registering 13 defensive runs saved this season.
It sounds insane to cut a player like this, especially one that’s posting a .259/.328/.471 batter’s line and is controllable through the 2030 season. But he could be the player that’s the key to making a blockbuster that could elevate the Red Sox in the next couple of seasons and keep their identity in the process.
The Red Sox have an image problem after dealing several pieces of homegrown talent over the past couple of seasons. The Mookie Betts trade opened a disappointing reality for Boston fans, and the Rafael Devers trade was a move that blindsided them last June. While Duran appeared to be the next to go, he’s the closest thing Boston has to a face of the franchise outside of Anthony.
Some would consider Duran’s 2025 to be a disappointing campaign, hitting .264/.329/.465 with 12 homers, 64 RBI, and 18 stolen bases on 23 attempts. But he owns an 118 OPS+ and is also under team control through the 2029 season. While trading Duran would have cleared the logjam in the outfield, he’s also one year removed from a giant 2024 season where he hit .295/.342/.492 with 21 homers, 75 RBI, and 34 stolen bases on 41 attempts.
That kind of production is something that most teams would kill for on the $8.5 million team option the Red Sox will certainly pick up this winter. And it’s something that’s not a theory considering Duran’s previous All-Star season and similarly strong campaign in 2023 (.295/.346/.482, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 24-for-26 on stolen base attempts).
While Abreu has had his own record of major league production, he also has competition coming in the organization. Jhostynxon Garcia has broken out this season, hitting .293/.371/.525 with 18 homers and 64 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A. Eventually, the Red Sox will need to make room for him to reach the majors, and having five outfielders for three spots (or four spots if you include the designated hitter) may not be feasible even if they’re at a cheap price.
Of course, the Red Sox could trade any of these players, and while Breslow has been timid in-season, he’s shown more aggressiveness in the winter, most notably trading for Garrett Crochet and signing Alex Bregman before this season. It could lead to a shocking deal that could bring a big piece to Boston.