Red Sox salvage offseason by locking in Rafael Devers, the new face of the franchise
BOSTON -- The Red Sox really needed a win this offseason, and Boston baseball fans really needed something to celebrate. Both sides got what they required (or in the case of the fans, demanded) Wednesday night when Rafael Devers reportedly agreed to a lengthy, big-money contract.
Maybe shouting at John Henry to pay Devers at the Winter Classic worked. Whatever was the case, the Red Sox ponied up and gave their third baseman an 11-year, $332 million contract to continue to crush baseballs onto Lansdowne Street.
The Devers deal almost takes the sting away from losing Xander Bogaerts to a massive contract just a few weeks ago. (Almost.) Raffy is here to stay, and while the extension doesn't fill all the holes on the Boston roster for 2023, it provides a lot of what the team needs.
The Red Sox have the face of their franchise and a cornerstone to build around. They have a big bat for the middle of their lineup for years to come. They have a guy fans want to see play, and a guy that can potentially get other free agents to come and join him.
Most important, there is finally some direction. The Red Sox are indeed willing to hand out a giant contract, with the Devers deal the sixth-largest in baseball history and the biggest ever given out by Chaim Bloom. Boston will have money to spend next offseason when the likes of Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, and a boatload of starting pitchers hit the free agent market, and they may just be willing to spend it to build around Devers.
In locking up Devers for the next decade-plus, the Red Sox also showed commitment and, finally, gave a proper payday to a homegrown talent. That's not something we were sure they'd be open to after they let Bogaerts walk this winter and traded away Mookie Betts a few years ago.
Devers first signed with Boston when he was a 16-year-old free agent out of the Dominican Republic. This contract will keep him in Boston through his age-36 season.
There's a reason fans were so bullish about giving Devers the richest contract in franchise history. He's pretty damn good, and he's a lot of fun to watch. Whether he's launching moon shots or giving himself a pep-talk in the batter's box, Devers has become appointment viewing at the plate. Over the last six years, he's established himself as one of the best third basemen, hitting 139 homers and driving in 455 runs in just under 700 career games. He's got a pair of All-Star nods to his name, plus a World Series ring, and will now have an opportunity to add more of those to his resume in a Red Sox uniform.
There is still work to do to get the Red Sox back into contention. But there is a face of Boston baseball for years to come, and the team giving Devers the contract that he has earned -- and deserved -- bodes well for the future of the Red Sox.
