The Boston Red Sox were incredibly apart from Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts in contract negotiations. The two both rejected extension offers prior to the season.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the two sides in both situations were very far apart.
“Neither Red Sox star believed Boston’s offer was in the ballpark — or anywhere near it. In both cases the gap is likely $100 million, and maybe much more.”
Bogaerts can opt-out of his six-year deal after this season, while Devers becomes a free agent after the 2023 season. Heyman goes into detail on both offers.
“The Red Sox are said to have offered the excellent young slugger Devers nothing like what he was seeking in terms of length or dollars. Word is, Devers was looking for an ultra-long deal that would have made him a “Red Sox for life,” while the club was thinking more like a contract for much less length — a kind of half-life deal. The team’s exact offer isn’t known, but suffice it to say, they were surely more than $100 million apart.
Boston and star shortstop Bogaerts were even further apart in concept, and in reality. Bogaerts, a three-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner who has an opt-out after the season on the deal that pays him $20 million annually through 2024, received an offer from Boston to simply add one year to the three he has his left on his deal. Sources suggest it was for about $30 million in that extra year, bringing his potential total to about $90 million.”
According to an ESPN report last year, Bogaerts does plan to opt out of his six-year deal after this season.
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