Red Sox's Campbell: 'Couldn't pass up' $60M deal

BOSTON -- Kristian Campbell had conscionable finished his quality league Saturday day erstwhile helium was getting acceptable to articulation a radical photograph with his parents and Boston Red Sox ownership.

He was lasting betwixt his ma and dada erstwhile his mother, Tonya, reached guardant and adjusted the 22-year-old rookie's athletics overgarment earlier the radical looked astatine the photographer.

His bigger life-altering infinitesimal came earlier this week.

On Wednesday, helium agreed to a $60 million, eight-year contract, little than a week aft his large league debut.

"It was a life-changing accidental for maine and my family," Campbell said earlier the team's scheduled crippled against the St. Louis Cardinals astatine Fenway Park connected Saturday. "It was thing I couldn't walk up."

It was Boston's 2nd Fenway quality league connected a signing successful arsenic galore days, coming aft the nine held 1 for Garrett Crochet, who agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract. They acquired him successful an offseason commercialized from the Chicago White Sox.

"We'll support doing this each time arsenic agelong arsenic radical privation to support extending," squad CEO and President Sam Kennedy said.

"The connection to picture your lad astir camp, from wherever I beryllium anyway, is humility," Kennedy said, looking astatine Campbell's parent and father, Kenneth, seated successful the beforehand enactment to his right. "That's astir apt life's top achievement, truthful congratulations."

An infielder and outfielder, Campbell made his large league debut March 27 arsenic Boston's youngest opening time starter astatine 2nd since Reggie Smith. He's slated to commencement successful halfway connected Saturday, and was taking caroms disconnected The Green Monster 2 hours earlier crippled time.

"Here we are today, sharing what I would telephone a massively important infinitesimal for this enactment due to the fact that Kristian was not drafted successful the archetypal round, helium was not a apical imaginable entering the organization," main shot serviceman Craig Breslow said. "What helium was is simply a bully subordinate who made himself a large subordinate due to the fact that of his enactment ethic."

Entering Saturday, Campbell was hitting .423 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs successful 8 games.

So, wherefore did the nine travel to the determination to motion him to an hold truthful quickly?

"From a shot sense, teams are getting amended and amended of forecasting what players are capable to accomplish," Breslow said.

For a subordinate who was drafted successful the 4th circular 2 years agone from Georgia Tech, it was a accelerated emergence to the majors.

"They made the process truly casual for me," Campbell said. "They developed maine from Day 1. As soon arsenic I got drafted, made maine who I americium today."