Red Sox Reportedly Far Off From Landing Rafael Devers After Latest Offer

Lets hope early negotiations are not a sign of how this could go

Scott Neville | Oct 27, 2022

Red Sox Reportedly Far Off From Landing Rafael Devers After Latest Offer /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox finally appear to be working on keeping superstar third baseman Rafael Devers around long-term. Unfortunately, the discussions reportedly have not gone well.

"The Red Sox have reopened contract talks with star third baseman Rafael Devers, but the gap is said to remain large," The New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday.

"Word is the Red Sox have now raised their offer to $200 million-plus, probably necessary given the (Atlanta) Braves signed less-experienced star third baseman Austin Riley for $212 million. However, with Devers only a year away from free agency, he seeks at least 10 years for $300 million-plus."

The report has some interesting notes. The most telling being that we finally know how much Devers is looking to sign for. That said, Heyman's inability to lock down the actual offer to Devers leaves too many question marks. They could be nearly $100 million off, or $10 million.

We do know that the two sides are two years apart -- or at least they were in last year's negotiations, as Boston offered a lowball, eight-year deal. Seeing as Devers is seeking 10 years, $300 million, the same annual average value would be eight years, $240 million.

In all likelihood, these two figures probably are close to where the two sides stand. If that is the case, money should not be a huge issue. The years, however, could be.

Just days after his 26th birthday, Devers is looking to be extended through his age 37 season. Having the option to make him the designated hitter toward the latter part of his career makes such a long deal an easier pill to swallow, but it's hard to commit to without having a clue as to how his body will hold up.

If the Red Sox want to retain their superstar, they likely won't have a choice.

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Published Oct 27, 2022

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu