The Boston Red Sox have traded Mookie Betts and allowed Xander Bogaerts to depart in MLB free agency within the last three years. All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers, the last of Boston’s homegrown stars, could be next out the door.
Devers, age 26, emerged as an AL MVP candidate this past season. He posted a .295/.358/.521 slash line with 88 RBI and a .225 isolated power, becoming one of the best hitters in MLB. He was one of the few bright spots on a club that finished last in the AL East.
- Rafael Devers stats (2022): .879 OPS, 141 wRC+, 4.9 FanGrapghs WAR, 27 home runs
With Devers under contract for the 2023 season, Boston went into the winter confident that it could retain Bogaerts and keep its star infielders together. Once Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres, attention turned to Devers’ contract and his future with the Red Sox.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom addressed both situations during a press conference with reporters. While he expressed the team’s desire to re-sign Devers, he also provided subliminal hints indicating this could be the slugger’s final season in Boston.
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“We will probably, I think, go beyond reason to try to get this done. Hopefully, we can get this done. There are always going to be limitations, like people can just put something plain out of reach. Some people love to bet on themselves and I hope he hits 63 homers if he does that.”
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloon on contract talks with Rafael Devers
While the front office is indicating that signing Devers to a multi-year extension is the top priority, the latest reports on contract negotiations and Bloom’s own comments paint a different picture.
According to Joon Lee of ESPN, the Red Sox and Devers’ representation are “galaxies apart” on a contract extension. The gap is wide enough that the All-Star third baseman is preparing to be a free agent next winter.
While the Red Sox still have another 10 months to close the gap in negotiations, there is a familiar pattern unfolding. Boston made the same public statements in the early stages of contract talks with Betts and Bogaerts. Both players are now gone and they left with some anger about how things were handled by Red Sox management.
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Boston Red Sox’ history suggests Rafael Devers leaves in 2024
Efforts to re-sign Bogaerts in 2022 went nowhere. Reports first surfaced in May that the five-time Silver Slugger Award winner was expecting to leave Boston after the season. While Boston made a series of proposals, some within the Red Sox organization felt ownership low-balled Bogaerts.
The 30-year-old shortstop hit the open market as one of the top MLB free agents available. In a winter that saw Carlos Correa, Trea Turner and Aaron Judge land some of the largest contracts in baseball history, Boston kept low-balling Bogaerts in October
- Rafael Devers contract: Arbitration eligible in 2023, 2024 MLB free agent
Bloom’s language in his press conference also plays a role in the growing belief that this will be Devers’ last season in Boston. Boston’s top baseball executive knows that fans pay close attention to what he says during press conferences.
Publicly stating that “people can just put something plain out of reach” is an indirect message about Devers valuing himself too highly in Boston’s eyes. Bloom is also essentially laying the groundwork to explain how Devers really doesn’t want to sign an extension by saying some players “love to bet on themselves.”
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Bloom’s actions are directed by owner John Henry and everything Boston has done in the past three years demonstrates a focus on slashing payroll to lower costs and maximize revenue. All of that points towards the Red Sox letting Devers walk in free agency, following it up with a press conference announcing they tried to re-sign him.