The Boston Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers are finalizing a huge, nine-figure contract extension worth up to $331 million, according to multiple reports.
Rafael Devers and the Red Sox are finishing up an 11-year, $331 million extension, per source. Deal expected to be completed. Carlos Baerga was on it.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 4, 2023
Confirmed: The Boston #RedSox have signed Rafael Devers to an 11-year, $332 million contract extension, as Carlos Baerga first reported.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 4, 2023
Rafael Devers is going to be on the Red Sox for a very long time. pic.twitter.com/cP6npuVQEt
— Jared Carrabis Podcast (@carrabispod) January 4, 2023
MLB insider for ESPN, Jeff Passan, reported that the deal is for eleven-years, but it is not official yet due to a “physical process” needing to be completed first. “Devers is expected to remain in Boston,” he reported.
BREAKING: Star third baseman Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing an 11-year, $331 million contract, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN.
The deal is not done. The physical process hasn’t started. But in the end, Devers is expected to remain in Boston.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 4, 2023
This is great news for Red Sox fans after an offseason where they lost All- Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency to the San Diego Padres. (RELATED: Carlos Correa Joins Mets After Deal With San Francisco Giants Abruptly Falls Through)
As a Red Sox fan myself, I am super excited about both sides seemingly agreeing to an extension here. I love that Devers wants to be with the Red Sox and become a “lifer.” By the end of his eleven-year deal, Devers will be finishing his 17th MLB season. He will play the prime of his career with Boston at Fenway Park, and I believe it’s a beautiful thing to see as a fan.
It’s also a good decision for Devers to remain in Boston because the Red Sox typically always find their way back into the World Series picture one way or another. There may be seasons in-between where they do not play well or underperform (kind of like last season when they missed out on the playoffs), but they are known to go on title runs every now and again.
Every year there is a new season, and there is a reason why Devers is choosing to stay put instead of moving on elsewhere. To me, it says that he believes in the organization to put together a solid roster to compete with the league’s best eventually.
I can’t reiterate it enough: this is great for the Red Sox. Devers is one of the better hitters in baseball. He has a tremendous eye for the ball and seems to always get on base when you need a runner. Throughout his six-year career thus far, Devers has an impressive batting average of .283. He also has ripped 139 homeruns to go with 455 runs batted in (RBI’s), according to ESPN.
I’m unsure how the Red Sox will perform in the season upcoming, but at some point in the next decade or so, they’ll be in contention for another championship. Of course, the money Devers is receiving matters some, but the Red Sox are usually a winning organization, and it’s why I believe he wants to stay put.