Under current MLB labor bargaining rules, teams generally have control of players until a player has accrued more than 6 years of MLB service. This ensures that teams have a reasonable amount of time to benefit from developing a player in their organization. Players who excel can enter arbitration after 3 years and sometimes after two years if they qualify under the "Super Two" rule of being in the top 22% of service time. 

Arbitration can be an adversarial process where the player submits a salary offer versus a team offer, where both sides have the incentive to promote in the player's case or discount in the team's case, a player's performance. Bad feelings incurred during arbitration often linger and affect future relationships.  To avoid potentially contentious arbitration, often teams will lock up players with contracts earlier to buy out arbitration years and even some free agent years in advance. This has the benefit of the team securing a player whose rising performance may command a higher salary. Conversely this gives players earlier security for their playing career.

The Red Sox have signed Roman Anthony, Brayan Bello, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Garrett Whitlock to long term contracts avoiding arbitration. Garrett Crochet, who was arbitration eligible has also been locked up. Several free agent years being bought out, 4 for Roman Anthony (through 2030), 3 for Ceddanne Rafaela (through 2032) and one for Garrett Crochet (through 2032). 

With the core locked up for the near future, will the Red Sox be able to leverage this to post-season success?