Pakistan, Aug. 8 -- The Red Sox signed rookie phenom Roman Anthony to an eight-year, $130 million contract on Wednesday, spending some of the cash they saved by trading Rafael Devers away on a player they hope will be the centerpiece of the next generation of Boston stars.

The 21-year-old outfielder, who has 159 major league at-bats so far, is signed through 2033, with a team option for 2034. The deal was announced with the Red Sox on a seven-game winning streak heading into Wednesday night's game against the Kansas City Royals.

"We're playing such great baseball. I didn't want to be a distraction to anyone," Anthony said in a pregame news conference attended by his parents and sister and teammates along with members of the ballclub's o...