The Boston Red Sox turned their offseason around when they extended Rafael Devers on a reported 11-year deal worth $331 million.
This prompted one former big leaguer to make a few suggestions for the organization moving forward.
Former All-Star and ex-Red Sox Cliff Floyd believes Devers can serve as the foundation for Boston. While the Red Sox began their offseason relatively quietly, Floyd is thinking about the bigger picture. As opposed to referencing any potential current offseason targets, he listed a few for next year.
And the names are pretty eye-catching, to say the least.
“You can turn this around if you’re the Red Sox,” Floyd said Wednesday on MLB Network. “So you talk about an 11-year deal, you could turn this around if you talking about (Shohei) Ohtani. He’s gonna be a free agent soon, (Juan) Soto, (Manny) Machado. So if you wanna win and be relevant in that tough division in that AL East, you can do it pretty quick. And this to me is why you sign that deal if you’re Rafael Devers. Because you’re getting some confirmation from them that we’re gonna turn this around quickly.”
Ohtani and Machado are unrestricted free agents after the 2023 season while Soto will reach free agency in 2025.
There’s no telling how the Red Sox front office will operate in wake of Devers’ deal. They extended Devers, which closed the door on any speculation that he’d depart Boston next offseason. With Devers being the largest signee in Red Sox history, perhaps he’ll mark the start of what’s to come.
While speaking alongside fellow ex-Red Sox Jake Peavy, Floyd credited Devers for being a “mature ball player” — which he attributed to his massive payday.
“Rafael Devers has done exactly what they wanted him to do,” Floyd said. “He got them in great shape, he’s gotten better each year. He’s done all the things that put him in position to sign this type of deal and be the poster child. To be that guy, to be that franchise player. He is the guy for it because he has done what you do as a mature ball player.”
Devers led the Red Sox in home runs (27) and slugging percentage (.521) last season. He also drew 50 walks to 114 strikeouts — his fewest in a full season — in 141 games.
