Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox agreed to an 11-year, $331 million contract extension on Wednesday. The deal comes after Boston lost Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez during the offseason. The Red Sox now have a player they can build around for the future.
Once the contract becomes official, it will be the richest deal in Red Sox history and the largest for a third baseman in MLB history, per ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter. But did the Red Sox make the right decision by extending Rafael Devers?
Rafael Devers is a true superstar
It seems as if Devers has been around for a while. People tend to forget that he's still only 26-years old. He could have easily done what Aaron Judge did and bet on himself in his contract season. One could argue that Judge's approach was even more risky since the outfielder was entering his age-30 offseason.
But Rafael Devers received a lucrative offer and agreed to terms with Boston.
Devers, a third baseman, is slashing .283/.342/.512 with an .854 OPS over 6 big league seasons. He slashed an impressive .295/.358/.521 with an .879 OPS and 27 home runs for the Red Sox in 2022. He previously clubbed 38 homers in 2021. Additionally, Devers is no stranger to playing pepper with the Green Monster at Fenway Park. He's a doubles machine who tends to drive in plenty of runs.
For Devers, this deal gives him the chance to become the true face of the franchise. Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts were both arguably the faces of the Red Sox in previous years. But now is Devers' time without question.
Red Sox got the job done
It was reported just a few weeks ago that the Red Sox and Rafael Devers were not all that close on coming to terms on an extension. But the Red Sox clearly wanted this to get completed and took the necessary steps to do so.
Multi-year contracts always come with risk. But the high-profile free agents who inked big contracts this offseason were all older than Rafael Devers. In comparison, this move is far less risky.
Devers is an outstanding offensive performer. It should be noted that his defense is questionable at times, although he has shown improvement. The Red Sox may opt to move Devers to 1st base or even DH at some point. Devers' defense isn't what earned him an 11-year, $331 million deal.
With that being said, he will likely remain at the hot corner for the time being. As aforementioned, he's displayed improvement at the position.
Rafael Devers' offensive approach will help him find success for years to come. Even late into his contract, it wouldn't be shocking to see him still posting elite numbers.
Final thoughts and grade
Red Sox fans were upset after Rafael Devers and Boston avoided arbitration with a 1-year, $17.5 million contract on Tuesday. Fans started to wonder if an extension would ever get done.
Boston did a tremendous job of ensuring that they got their guy in the end. Devers is a true building block who will help the Red Sox compete in the difficult to navigate AL East for the foreseeable future.
This extension profiles as a win for Rafael Devers, the Red Sox, and the city of Boston as a whole. Although expensive, it was a deal the Red Sox needed to make.
Final grade: A
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