How Brewers Are Impacted By Red Sox Roman Anthony Extension

The Milwaukee Brewers don't typically hand out massive deals.

Milwaukee is a small-market team that specializes in finding talent through the draft or free agency and developing them through the minors. If you look at this roster, a good chunk of it has spent their entire professional careers in the organization. The Brewers have to do things differently than a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers can go out and hand out all sorts of deals, like signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, or acquiring Mookie Betts and inking him to a long-term mega-deal and plenty more. The deals don't stop for teams like Los Angeles, like signing Blake Snell after winning the World Series.

Milwaukee does hand out a large deal every now and then, though. For example, the Brewers signed Christian Yelich to a seven-year, $188.5 million extension that also has a mutual option for the 2025 season. The Brewers also made a then-surprising move and signed Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million deal.

Brewers struck gold with Chourio, as shown through Red Sox blockbuster

Aug 1, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony (19) hits a game winning RBI against the Houston Astros during the tenth inning inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

He became the sixth player to sign a long-term extension before stepping on a big league field.

"Those tools were on display as he recorded a .283/.338/.467 slash, 22 homers, 91 RBIs and 44 steals over 128 games between Double-A and Triple-A in '23," MLB.com's Matt Kelly said. "Chourio became the sixth player to sign a contract extension before his big league debut."

The reason why the Brewers look even smarter right now for this deal is the fact that Roman Anthony reportedly just signed an eight-year, $130 million deal with the Boston Red Sox with a shot at much more, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"Breaking: Outfielder Roman Anthony and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing an eight-year, $130 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN," Passan said. "The deal, which is pending a physical, includes a club option and will keep Anthony under team control through 2034.

"Roman Anthony's deal with the Red Sox will start in 2026 and includes significant escalators that could take the maximum value of the deal to $230 million. Depending on where he finishes in AL Rookie of the Year voting, it would buy out three or four years of free agency."

This deal is great for Boston but makes Milwaukee look great because it has a franchise cornerstone of its own for an even cheaper deal. Chourio is just 63 days older than Anthony as well, but has played 203 more big league games.

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