Roman Anthony is still owed $123 million by the Boston Red Sox after a 2026 season that ended with him sidelined in the postseason again, after sitting out 107 games in the regular season.
The former No. 1 prospect in baseball has appeared in barely half of Boston’s games since his debut last year, and a still-damaged ligament in his right hand has raised the possibility of offseason surgery that could cause him to miss more time in 2027.
His postseason debut in this year’s American League Wild Card Series lasted two at-bats. Anthony led off as designated hitter in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 29 and struck out on check swings both times before being pulled from the game. Boston then removed him from the roster before Game 2, a loss that ended the Red Sox season and any hope for Anthony’s return.
"I feel sick to my stomach. I haven't slept much. It doesn't really feel real, to be honest," Anthony said of his latest injury, quoted by The Boston Globe‘s Tim Healey.
That makes two at-bats in five postseason games across two years. An oblique strain kept him out of all three games of the 2025 Wild Card Series, also against the Yankees.
Roman Anthony Contract Details and Money Still Owed
The Red Sox announced an eight-year extension on Aug. 6, 2025, about two hours before his 47th major league game, a home contest against the Kansas City Royals. It covers 2026 through 2033, with a $30 million club option for 2034 and no buyout, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
The guaranteed money totals $130 million, including a $5 million signing bonus, as first reported by ESPN‘s Jeff Passan.
Base salaries start at $2 million in 2026 and climb to $29 million in 2033, according to Spotrac contract data. The $7 million Anthony collected for 2026, salary plus bonus, is paid. That leaves $123 million guaranteed for 2027 through 2033.
Escalators tied to MVP voting and All-Star selections can push the total to $230 million, according to a Bosoxinjection breakdown. Anthony missed a 2031 escalator by finishing third in 2025 Rookie of the Year voting.
Anthony, then the sport’s consensus top prospect, had been up since June 9, 2025, and said two months in Boston convinced him to stay, according to Boston.com.
At signing, he was hitting .283/.400/.428 with two home runs and 19 RBI in 46 games.
Anthony grew up in South Florida, attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, and committed to Ole Miss after his sophomore year.
In high school he was Broward County 7-A Player of the Year as a junior (.363, five homers, 22 RBI, 26 steals) and again as a senior (.520, 52 hits, 14 doubles, 10 homers, 40 RBI, 36 runs). He was also Gatorade Florida Player of the Year and Florida Mr. Baseball, and Stoneman Douglas won the Class 7A state title. He signed with Boston out of high school rather than attend Ole Miss.
Roman Anthony Injury History and Career Stats
Anthony has played 126 of Boston’s 257 regular-season games since his June 9, 2025, debut, a 49.0 percent rate, according to The Boston Globe analysis.
The oblique strain landed him on the injured list Sept. 3, 2025. The 2026 trouble began May 4 in Detroit, when a check-swing foul partially tore a ligament at the base of his right ring finger, according to Boston.com‘s injury update. He missed 101 games and returned Aug. 30.
Before the injury he hit .229 with one home run in 30 games. After activation, he hit .262 with four of his five home runs in 25 games.
His career line stands at .271/.371/.433 with 13 home runs, 47 RBI and 4.6 WAR across 545 plate appearances.
“I do’t necessarily know the answer to that,” Anthony said, when asked whether he needs surgery for his injured hand.
Red Sox Still Owe Roman Anthony $123 Million After Another Playoff Injury