Chaim Bloom says Boston Red Sox aren't cheap after Rafael Devers deal: "It’s not commitments for their own sake. It’s commitments you can win with"
Rafael Devers' massive extension could be the beginning of a trend reversal. The Boston Red Sox have become notorious for being cheap and not signing superstars anymore. One signing doesn't change that, but it is a step in the right direction.
While the Sox in recent years chose to trade Mookie Betts, let Xander Bogaerts and others walk, they opted to go all-in on their young third baseman.
According to the New York Times, it's not about being frugal, but rather finding the right players to spend on. Chaim Bloom said signing Devers was the right move and that it's a move they might make again:
“Absolutely — when it aligns with winning. The end point is winning. It’s not commitments for their own sake. It’s commitments that you can win with. As we see, you win with these when they’re part of a complete team and complete organization."
He continued:
"With every move, whether it’s a waiver claim or a large, multiyear contract, the endpoint is always: is this going to help us deliver to our fans what we’re here to deliver, which is winning baseball on an annual basis? And if the answer is yes, it’s something we should pursue.”
Bloom and the Red Sox front office believe in putting forth a winning product. They also believe that of all the moves they could have made, the one that got them to that goal the most was signing Devers.
Devers and the Red Sox agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration before agreeing on the massive extension.
The one-year contract was for $17.5 million and his extension is worth roughly $31 million a year, so he received quite the raise.
How long will Rafael Devers be in Boston?
Rafael Devers has spent his entire MLB career with the Red Sox and it appears he may spend the rest of it in Boston, too.
The deal agreed to is 11 years long, which means it ties him to the Red Sox until he is 37. Cumulatively, the deal is worth an incredible $331 million, one of the largest total value contracts in MLB history.