Report: Red Sox taking aggressive stance on Rafael Devers

Oct 10, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) walks on the field before game three of the 2021 ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have had a disappointing offseason by some measures, particularly when it comes to the loss of franchise shortstop Xander Bogaerts. That has apparently motivated Boston to make sure they do not face a repeat of the situation a year from now.

The Red Sox have made re-signing third baseman Rafael Devers their top priority, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Bogaerts’ departure appears to have spurred the Red Sox into considering more aggressive action to avoid losing another key player to free agency.

Red Sox president Chaim Bloom told Heyman that the team’s efforts to keep Devers are “only intensifying.”

The question is whether the Red Sox are willing to go to the necessary lengths to keep Devers in town. The third baseman could plausibly command a $300 million deal, and Boston has been hesitant to hand out such contracts in recent years. So far, they have not been willing to go over $170 million for roughly six years in offers to Devers, which is highly unlikely to get anything done.

Red Sox fans have had to watch Bogaerts and Mookie Betts leave the organization in recent years, largely because the team would not give them the massive contracts they sought. The unrest has even spread to former players. Losing Devers might be the last straw for many, as it would be hard to take the team’s stated ambitions seriously if they are consistently unwilling to deal in the realities of the current market.