It proved to be a great Major League Baseball offseason for both Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers.
The longtime teammates and close friends were rewarded with lucrative, long-term contracts for their consistent, All-Star-caliber play. Bogaerts cashed in on the open market, landing an 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres in early December. The Red Sox on Wednesday made sure Devers wouldn’t reach free agency for the foreseeable future, as they reportedly gave the star third baseman an 11-year, $331 million contract extension.
Boston players, staff members and fans weren’t the only ones happy to see Devers break the bank. Bogaerts was, too, and he expressed as much with a post to his Instagram story Thursday morning.
“Earned and Deserved,” Bogaerts wrote in the story, coupled with a flames and heart emoji.
Devers and Bogaerts are set to reunite in late May when the Red Sox visit Petco Park for a three-game series with the Padres.
