BOSTON — Marcelo Mayer had a hunch that his best friend, Roman Anthony, might be on the verge of signing a long-term contract extension with the Red Sox. It wasn’t until Wednesday morning, when the deal got close to the finish line, when Mayer found out just like everybody else.
“I was watching Narcos on the couch this morning eating a bagel and my buddy texted me about it,” Mayer said. “I opened Twitter and that’s all I saw. I gave him a text, told him how proud of him I was.
“We didn’t talk about it much. I feel like I kind of knew what was going on just because I know him so well. That’s none of my business to ask.”
Hours later, Anthony was donning a suit during a press conference with team president/CEO Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow after putting pen to paper on an eight-year, $130 million extension that includes incentives based on his performance ceiling and keeps him tied to Boston through 2034. While that suit hung in Anthony’s locker, Mayer stood across the home clubhouse and beamed.
“Roman’s a brother to me,” Mayer said. “I’ve played with him for a couple years now. To see his dreams come true in that aspect makes me super happy for him and his family.”
Anthony and Mayer, who each consistently ranked among the Sox’ best prospects before being called up a few weeks apart this season, have been eternally linked to one another. Anthony, like fellow “Big Three” member Kristian Campbell, was able to get an extension done with the Red Sox during his rookie year. Campbell’s came even quicker, as he inked an eight-year, $60 million commitment less than a week into the regular season.
Mayer has celebrated his friends’ big contracts but it doesn’t appear he is close to joining them with a deal of his own. Injuries, like the wrist sprain currently keeping Mayer sidelined, have cropped up every year, and the Red Sox would like to see a season uninterrupted by injury before broaching the subject. On his end, Mayer said, there hasn’t been much progress.
“No, not really. I’m not really focused on that right now,” Mayer said. “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now trying to get back on the field with my wrist and stuff.”
A few days removed from an anti-inflammatory injection in his wrist that was given in an effort to avoid season-ending surgery, Mayer said he’s feeling much better and that he hopes to do some baseball activities during this upcoming week when he stays back and the team goes on the road to San Diego and Houston. At this point, it’s about pain tolerance.
“It feels really good. Taking it day by day, trying to get better,” Mayer said. “There’s no limitations. It really just depends on how my wrist is doing.”
Mayer is doing everything he can to get back on the field for the stretch run and re-join a team that has surged in July and August to be 13 games above .500 (64-51) for the first time in four seasons. He’s also looking forward to once again being an active part of a young core that will include Anthony — and potentially, Campbell if he’s recalled from Triple-A — down the stretch.
“Breslow called us up to Double-A at the same time and we all clicked. We all had the same goals,” Mayer said. “We all want to get better every single day. When you’re around guys like that, you become closer with them.
“We have fun. (Anthony) is my roommate. I think that says enough. We had the chance to finally not be roommates. We chose to live together again. That’s like a brother to me. We’ve created a really good friendship outside of baseball and I’m super happy for him.”
That Anthony has burst onto the big league scene with instant success has come as no surprise to Mayer. Entering Wednesday, the 21-year-old Anthony — since debuting — ranks in the top 10 in the American League in doubles (T-3rd, 15), on-base percentage (6th, .400) and walks (7th, 26) while hitting the ball as hard as anyone.
“That’s what I expected,” Mayer said. “I’ve seen Roman play since he was in Double-A. He has been doing that his whole career. I didn’t really expect anything much to change.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
