Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the 2023 Major League Baseball season.
The deal, reportedly worth $17.5 million for the upcoming campaign, means the sides avoided salary arbitration, but a bigger question remains: Will Devers and the Red Sox work out a long-term extension before Opening Day?
The Red Sox have expressed interest in locking up Devers for the foreseeable future, and a source told The Athletic's Chad Jennings the one-year deal changes nothing in that regard. Boston still ultimately would like to sign Devers to a long-term contract.
The Boston Globe's Alex Speier on Tuesday wrote the following:
While the agreement is for just one year, it points to the ongoing conversations on a longer-term deal. Multiple sources characterized the dialogue between the sides as steady, even as they have yet to find common ground.
Since reaching the big leagues as a 20-year-old in 2017, Devers repeatedly has made clear his enthusiasm for playing in Boston and his openness to a long-term deal. While Devers was virtually inseparable with Xander Bogaerts over the past five-plus years, his interest in a long-term deal is not believed to have changed based on Bogaerts's departure for San Diego.
Devers is entering the final year of his contract and can become a free agent next offseason. This is a daunting reality for Boston with shortstop Xander Bogaerts leaving in free agency this winter to sign with the San Diego Padres.
The 26-year-old is coming off a 2022 season in which he slashed .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs in 141 games (614 plate appearances). Devers is a two-time All-Star and without question one of the best third basemen in baseball.
