Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers posted a farewell message to now-former teammate Xander Bogaerts, who is signing a massive deal with the San Diego Padres.
Early Thursday morning, Boston Red Sox fans received the news that they have feared all offseason — shortstop Xander Bogaerts signing elsewhere. After swinging and missing on Trea Turner and Aaron Judge, the San Diego Padres were able to get Bogaerts to agree to terms, courtesy of an 11-year, $280 million contract. This is yet another homegrown talent to leave Boston, with the other notable name being Mookie Betts. It created quite a reaction from Red Sox fans on social media.
Later on in the day, Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers posted a photo of himself and Bogaerts to his Instagram story with a touching farewell message to his now former teammate.
Rafael Devers posts farewell message to Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts made his Red Sox debut in the 2013 season. Four years later, Devers received his call-up to man third base, while Bogaerts was at shortstop. That created one of the best left infields in the entire American League. The duo made it to the All-Star Game together in 2021 and 2022, and won the World Series in 2018.
Now, Bogaerts is heading to the National League. Red Sox fans are hoping the team can find a way to prevent a similar thing from happening with Devers, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2023 season. That could be difficult, as Devers could very well become one of the highest paid players in baseball.
Throughout the year, the Red Sox and Bogaerts were far apart in contract negotiations, which paved the way for the shortstop to hit free agency. The Red Sox were outbid for Bogaerts, but as it turns out, it was by quite the wide margin.
According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox offered Bogaerts a six-year deal roughly around $160 million. Additionally, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reported that there were three-to-four teams willing to offer Bogaerts more than $200 million.
Bogaerts is no longer with the Red Sox. Now, the fans hope that the team can find a way to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen with Devers.