Red Sox Haven't Discussed Extension With Connelly Early

"Connelly Early burst into the Red Sox rotation with a 2.33 ERA over his first 19 1/3 innings in the majors last September, enhancing his status as a key part of Boston's pitching future. Cementing that future potential in the form of a contract extension, however, doesn't yet appear to be in the team's plans, as MassLive.com's Christopher Smith and Chris Cotillo write that the Sox haven't yet engaged with Early's reps at Excel Sports Management about a long-term deal."

"Using MLBTR's Contract Tracker for reference, most of Excel's extensions over the last two decades have been shorter-term deals covering two or three of a player's arbitration years, without extending his team's control. Former Excel client Freddie Freeman signed an eight-year, $135MM extension with the Braves back in February 2014, and Cal Raleigh signed his six-year, $105MM extension with the Mariners just under a year ago, but Freeman and Raleigh each had more than three years of MLB service at the times of those deals."

"Early and fellow southpaw Payton Tolle each logged little enough time in their 2025 debut seasons that the Red Sox can still gain an extra year of team control over the duo if they're held in the minors for a certain amount of time in 2026 - Early 35 days, and Tolle 45 days. Such considerations might factor into whether or not Early or Tolle make Boston's Opening Day roster, but an extension would obviously overwrite things."

Connelly Early demonstrated strong performance in his initial major league appearance last September, posting a 2.33 ERA over 19 1/3 innings and establishing himself as a promising part of Boston's pitching future. However, the Red Sox have not yet initiated contract extension discussions with Early's representatives at Excel Sports Management. Excel Sports clients typically pursue shorter-term extensions covering arbitration years rather than long-term deals, particularly early in players' careers. Early has accumulated only 20 service days, giving Boston the option to gain additional team control by keeping him in the minors for specific periods in 2026. This service time consideration may influence roster decisions for Opening Day, though an extension would eliminate such strategic timing.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors