Despite all the trade rumors throughout the offseason, Rafael Devers will remain with the Boston Red Sox for the foreseeable future. Late Wednesday afternoon, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Red Sox are in agreement with the third baseman on an 11-year contract worth $331 million. The deal reportedly will run through the 2033 season.
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Rafael Devers Extension: Red Sox World Series Odds
Red Sox fans will be ecstatic with the Rafael Devers extension that undoubtedly signals they will not be going through a rebuild. But they have a long way to go before they’ll be considered contenders to win a championship again, and the 2023 World Series odds reflect that.
Per DraftKings, the Red Sox are currently +7000 to win the 2023 World Series. That puts them behind 20 other MLB teams, which should not really come as a surprise. After all, the Red Sox will be losing J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, Christian Vázquez and Nathan Eovaldi from their 2022 roster.
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Coming into the 2022 season, Boston had high hopes after reaching the ALCS the year prior and getting World Series-winning manager Alex Cora back from a one-year suspension. But dealing with injuries and inconsistent play all season long, Boston finished 78-84 and last in a tough AL East.
But Devers continued his ascent into one of the top young hitters in baseball. In 141 games, the 26-year-old finished the season slashing .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. And although the Red Sox may be looking at a “retool” in the near future, having a player like Devers to build around will present them an opportunity to get back to their contending ways in a timely fashion.
Devers and the Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million earlier in the week to avoid arbitration.
Rafael Devers is a homegrown talent for the Red Sox who debuted in the 2017 season and immediately demonstrated why scouts and media were so high on his left-handed swing that seems perfectly suited for Fenway Park. After six MLB seasons, Devers has lived up to the billing and is adored by the Red Sox faithful.
No, it’s not likely that the Red Sox will be competing for October baseball in 2023. But at least Bostonians can go into Opening Day feeling good that their franchise cornerstone is not going anywhere, thanks to the Rafael Devers contract extension.
