BALTIMORE — Five games into his big league career, Kristian Campbell cemented his status as a cornerstone of the Red Sox’ future, agreeing to an eight-year, $60 million deal that includes a pair of team options that could keep the 22-year-old under contract with the Red Sox through the 2034 season.
Campbell’s meteoric rise through the minors last year resulted in Minor League Player of the Year recognition as he dominated at three levels, from High-A to Triple-A. That performance put him squarely on the radar of the Red Sox as a potential Opening Day big league contributor, a status that Campbell secured by showing growth throughout his first big league camp.
The deal, according to major league sources, breaks down as follows:
Signing bonus: $2M
2025 salary: $1M
2026 salary: $2M
2027 salary: $3M
2028 salary: $4M
2029 salary: $6M
2030 salary: $9M
2031 salary: $13M
2032 salary: $16M
2033 team option: $19 million ($4 million buyout)
2034 team option: $21 million
There are also escalators for Campbell’s salary based on MVP votes or All-Star selections. Specifically, if he wins the MVP, his salary for the next year would go up by $2 million. A second- or third-place finish would boost his salary by $1 million, a fourth- or fifth-place finish would increase his salary by $500,000, and a sixth- through 10th-place finish would result in an increase in salary by $250,000 in the next season. He would also get a $200,000 escalator for an All-Star selection. His salary can escalate by no more than $2 million in any given year.
By signing Campbell to a long-term deal after placing him on the Opening Day roster, the Red Sox remain in line for a potential Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) draft pick at the end of the first round if Campbell either wins Rookie of the Year this year or ranks among the top three MVP finishers from 2025-27.
After the Red Sox signed Garrett Crochet to a six-year, $170 million deal on Tuesday, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow suggested the team remained interested in additional long-term deals with top young talents.
“A strategy for being able to compete year after year is identifying the players that we have drafted and signed and developed internally, understanding who of those can be cornerstones of a run of success and making the appropriate commitments to them and then supplementing that group via free agency or trade,” said Breslow. “That’s a recipe we’ll continue to embrace.”
The recipe resulted in a fully cooked meal with Wednesday’s announcement — one that the Sox hope will play a significant role in their aspirations to contend for years to come.
Campbell, who has played both second and left, has gotten off to a strong start, hitting .375/.500/.688 with a homer, two doubles, four walks, and five strikeouts through five games.
Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.
