Roman Anthony’s eight-year, $130 million extension was a surprise for many folks around baseball.
There were no leaks about talks even happening. There were no whispers that a deal was even possible. And with an extension now done, Anthony’s deal ensures that the star 21-year-old will be in Boston until at least his age-29 season.
It’s a coup for Craig Breslow and the Red Sox organization getting him signed long-term. It potentially saves hundreds of millions of dollars had the franchise waited to extend Anthony. It also gives Anthony life-changing money, an opportunity to be the face of the organization and also the chance at a second massive payday once he becomes a free agent.
What young player could be next for an extension? Here are a few candidates.
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Jacob Misiorwoski, Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers and Misiorwoski are not discussing an extension, but it makes sense for Milwaukee to explore this sooner than later.
After all, look at the Brewers’ best pitchers recently. Josh Hader. Devin Williams. Corbin Burnes. What do they all have in common? They’ve all been traded by the organization before huge paydays. Of course, the Brewers have kept both Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff on relatively team-friendly deals. But Peralta’s future is uncertain beyond this season and could make him an offseason trade candidate.
Milwaukee needs to attempt to get ahead of it and attempt to extend The Miz. Otherwise, it could be a similar situation to Hader, Williams and Burnes.
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Do I expect the Pirates to eventually extend Skenes? No.
That’s not a Ben Cherington thing. That falls squarely on Bob Nutting, the team owner who has refused to invest meaningful dollars in the roster. To his credit, yes, he has extended Bryan Reynolds, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Mitch Keller. But we’ve never seen him fork over the kind of money needed to extend Skenes, who could very well be the richest pitcher in baseball history.
I hope I’m wrong. I so badly want to be proven wrong. Because Pittsburgh deserves Skenes. I just don’t expect an extension to happen.
Nick Kurtz, A’s
Kurtz has taken the league by storm and produced arguably the greatest game in baseball history by going 6-for-6 with four home runs, six runs and eight RBI on July 25 against the Houston Astros.
A reminder: He’s only 26.
Kurtz is everything that the A’s want to be, both now and going forward. He’s the favorite to win American League Rookie of the Year. He’s hitting .307/.387/.648 with a 1.035 OPS, 23 home runs and 61 RBI. And in only 75 games, after being the No. 4 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, he’s produced 3.7 bWAR.
The A’s spent money in the offseason on Luis Severino and Brent Rooker, among others. Now, it’s time to spend on Kurtz, the next star of the American League.
Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox
And finally, changing gears to end this list. Instead of a young, emerging player, let’s go with a player who has already established himself in the Majors.
After trading Rafael Devers, Bregman is the clear favorite to be the long-term third baseman in Boston. The only problem: He has an opt-out after this season and is no guarantee to be with the Red Sox in 2026 and beyond. After extending Anthony, perhaps there’s additional optimism that Bregman could be extended too. But it’s trickier than that.
Bregman is represented by Scott Boras, who prefers his players establish their values on the open market. It’s highly, highly unlikely Bregman avoids free agency and does a deal now. A return to Boston long-term is very much in play. Just be patient. Knowing Boras, it could be awhile.