The Boston Red Sox are finalizing an 11-year, $331 million contract with star third baseman Rafael Devers, per former Major League infielder Carlos Baerga. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the deal is not done, as the “physical process hasn’t started” just yet.
On Tuesday afternoon, it was reported that the two sides had agreed upon a one-year, $17.5 million deal in order to avoid arbitration, as first reported by Passan. A little more than 24 hours later, it looks like the Red Sox are close to locking in Devers to a long-term deal.
Devers was an All-Star for the second time in his career last season, slashing .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs and 88 runs batted in for Boston. The 25-year-old shined despite the Red Sox performing well below expectations, and he finished 14th in AL MVP voting. In his last three full seasons (excluding the 60-game season in 2020), Devers has played at least 141 games in each of them, showcasing how durable he is. He also has posted an OPS+ of 132 or above in each of the last three full seasons.
This deal takes a big free agent off the board for the upcoming free agent class, which most notably includes Shohei Ohtani and Manny Machado. Other third baseman that could be on the market include Matt Chapman and Josh Donaldson among others. The absence of Devers in the next free agent class leaves a pretty significant hole at the top.
