The Boston Red Sox are entering an offseason full of big questions after a rough 2022 season. Arguably the biggest question of them all involves star third baseman Rafael Devers and his looming extension. The Sox and Devers tried to negotiate a deal last offseason, but it sounded like the two sides were very far apart from reaching a deal.

Despite that, it's clear the Red Sox want to do whatever it takes to keep Devers in town, and they may have an increased sense of urgency considering how their 2022 season went. When asked about an extension for Devers, Red Sox Chief Base Officer Chaim Bloom made it clear he wanted to keep Devers in town, and shut down any rumors of a potential trade involving Devers if a deal couldn't get done.

This isn't exactly a surprise considering how important Devers is to Boston's lineup. Even with a quiet second half, Devers numbers on the season (.295 BA, 27 HR, 88 RBI, .879 OPS) made him far and away the Red Sox best hitter this season. Considering he's still just 25 years old, it makes sense that the Red Sox would be willing to do whatever they can to keep Devers around for the long-term future.

It sounds like Boston has quite a gap to bridge with Devers this offseason when it comes to their extension talks, but they can't really afford to let him leave anytime soon. The front office will likely focus on working towards re-signing Xander Bogaerts first since it's a bit more pressing, but right after Bogaerts, Devers is the most important situation the Red Sox have to figure out this offseason.

Whether they can or can't extend Rafael Devers this offseason could play a big role in determining the Red Sox future, and based on how good Devers has been to start his career, Boston's front office would be smart to do whatever they can to lock him up this offseason.