Kristian Campbell didn’t want to pass up opportunity to make $60 million

Kristian Campbell didn’t want to pass up opportunity to make $60 million

As fans of a team or sport, all of us oftentimes like to play general manager to predict and prognosticate every move an organization makes.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but not all of us–myself included–always think about it from every angle, including the one that directly affects the players and their thought process.

Earlier this week, Boston Red Sox rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell signed an eight-year, $60 million extension. To 99 percent of us, that’s life-changing money that none of us would squawk at–even though the general reaction was that Campbell was underpaid relative to market value.

The rookie, however, didn’t feel like he had the opportunity to pass up the $60 million, he said Saturday.

“I was educated throughout this whole process, and it was just a life-changing opportunity for me and my family, and you can’t pass on that,” he said, according to MLB.com’s Ian Browne.

“They developed me from day one as soon as I got drafted and they’ve been working with me every day,” he added later in the day. “I’ve learned something new every day. They’ve helped me become the player I am today.“

Campbell, 22, entered the 2025 MLB Season as the Red Sox’s No. 2 prospect, according to both Fangraphs and MLB Pipeline; both publications had him as a top-7 prospect across MLB.

After rapidly climbing through Boston’s farm system last season, he’s more than justified his standing thus far, albeit through a very small eight-game sample. So far, he’s slashing .423/.515/.808 with four doubles, two home runs and five RBIs in 33 plate appearances. He’s also walking at a near 20-percent clip and grades in the 72nd percentile or better in chase rate and strikeout rate, according to Baseball Savant.

Campbell was consistently a .300 hitter with a .900 OPS at every level in the minor leagues. He’s an excellent hitter with a great eye and is positionally versatile, even though he’s locked in as their everyday second baseman.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the former fourth-round pick, especially now that he is on a contract for $7.5 million annually. If what he’s showing right now is any indicator of the future, his market will skyrocket.

But that’s something that will be decided in the future, which is the best for both sides as this new age of Red Sox baseball breaks through.

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