It didn’t take long for the Boston Red Sox to lock up their budding superstar to a long-term extension — 46 games to be exact. Fans had been clamoring for the deal, though at times it didn’t seem the most likely. Now, Roman Anthony will be under team control until 2034.

Anthony cited a few reasons for the extension, but one key one stuck out. The Red Sox’s young core. When asked about the fact that there are multiple players under contract through 2030 and beyond, he replied:

“It’s a special group. I try not to look too far in the future, but we’re having a lot of fun, playing good baseball right now, so I’m just trying to stay present as best as possible. But it’s super exciting when you talk about how young we are, and the mix that we have of the great veteran guys that we have. So there’s a lot to be excited about, and I’m excited, and knowing that in this process was a big reason as to why I wanted to stay here and be with those guys and grow with those guys.”

The chance to play with the same core of players into his prime was a factor in his decision-making process. The credit for that one goes to Craig Breslow.

These key moves were a deciding factor in Roman Anthony’s extension

When Breslow signed on to be the chief baseball officer of the Red Sox, two of his first moves were giving long-term extensions to Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela. At the time, the moves were questionable. Most players who are given pre-arbitration contracts are of much higher pedigree than those two. Bobby Witt Jr., Corbin Carroll, and Julio Rodriguez are three prime examples. Neither Rafaela’s nor Bello’s 2024 showed that giving them those extensions was a great idea either.

Now, with Bello cementing himself in the top three of the rotation and Rafaela becoming an All-Star caliber centerfielder, those moves look great. Then, in 2025, Breslow did it again, giving newly acquired Garrett Crochet and top prospect Kristian Campbell long-term deals as well. While the Crochet extension looked great at the time and only looks better after every start, Campbell’s is debatable. But all of the extensions, no matter the long-term outlook, have made a positive impact on the organization now.

Usually, GMs are selling long-term futures to veterans when trying to sign or resign them, to prove to them that being on the team over the next few seasons will be worthwhile. In this case, though, showing Anthony that he will get to be a part of a core of players his age for the foreseeable future, and a future that is looking more and more promising by the day, was what it took. So credit goes to Craig Breslow for creating a core that other players want to be a part of.