Why Red Sox Wanted To Sign Ceddanne Rafaela To Rare Extension

The Red Sox believe Ceddanne Rafaela has a very bright future in the big leagues, and they made as much clear Wednesday.

Boston finalized an eight-year contract extension with Rafaela before the middle contest of its three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. The 23-year-old landed the new deal after only 39 games of MLB service, and he became the first player this century to sign an extension with the Red Sox before appearing in 50 games at baseball's highest level.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow on Wednesday openly acknowledged Rafaela still has plenty of room to grow. But that's what's so exciting about a highly versatile player who boasts a great deal of natural talent.

"Despite the fact he's got development that will continue, and I think he'd be the first person to speak to that, I think we're very comfortable and very confident in both the floor -- the defensive floor he provides and the ability to impact the game in so many different ways -- and what we believe to be pretty significant offensive upside," Breslow told reporters, per MassLive.

"We've created a really strong development plan around him. We think his quality of contact and ball flight are really encouraging and foretelling of offensive upside. There's so many places in the field where he's going to help us win a game on defense. We feel like that combination is one that's worth investing in."

Rafaela also possesses the kind of confidence you want in a player signed to a long-term deal. The Curaçao native has no doubt he will have at least one World Series ring on his finger by the time his contract expires.

And in addition to what Rafaela brings to the table, his deal sends a positive message to other up-and-comers working through the Red Sox organization. All told, it was a shrewd move by Breslow and company.