SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Rafael Devers will sure see his bank account grow after signing a massive 10-year extension worth a reported $313.5 million with the Boston Red Sox earlier this month.
So, did Devers splurge on any big purchases to celebrate his new mega deal?
“Nothing,” Devers said last Saturday during Red Sox Winter Weekend at the MassMutual Center. “Just spending time with my family and training. Just started training. Just getting ready.”
It’s exactly what Red Sox fans should want to hear from the 26-year-old Devers as with the sizable contract comes matching expectations.
Devers, who batted .295 last season with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs, is now without a doubt the face of the franchise, especially after the departure of many veterans that helped Boston win a World Series title in 2018, including Xander Bogaerts. He’ll be the go-to slugger in a new-look Red Sox lineup, something David Ortiz has concerns about.
By getting a deal done ahead of time, Devers won’t have to go through the uncertainty of his future this season and all the questions pertaining to it like he watched Bogaerts endure.
A contract like the one Devers signed certainly can change things while bringing with it heightened expectations as he’ll be under a constant spotlight to make sure his production is living up to the deal.
But through it all, the star third baseman for the Red Sox plans to just stay true to himself.
“For me, money can’t change me,” Devers said. “I just feel like I’m the same person and that’s what I’m going to strive to continue being.”
