3 Contract Extensions the Red Sox Can Still Pursue This Offseason
By Sean Facey
The offseason is waning fast, and that means the time for pursuing contract extensions is running out. The Boston Red Sox have made little progress in locking up their stars, especially with a front office transition to deal with and a cheating scandal hanging over their heads.
A long-term deal with Mookie Betts might also be out of the picture with trade rumors swirling again, but not all hope is lost. They still have the opportunity to hammer out new deals with a handful of their productive players, which the team should start considering.
3. RHP Matt Barnes
Quality relief pitching was in short supply for the Boston Red Sox in 2019, and that makes the need to extend Matt Barnes that much more obvious. He was one of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball last year, ranking sixth among relievers with a 38.6% strikeout rate. For some perspective, that mark was better than the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith. He still has another year to go before he hits free agency, so the window for an extension is still very much open.
2. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
Boston's enigmatic southpaw had something of a breakout campaign last year. After four straight years of failing to pitch a full season due to various injuries, Rodriguez logged 203.1 innings across 34 starts, amassing 6.0 bWAR and a career-low 3.81 ERA. He still has another year of arbitration eligibility left, and the Red Sox would be wise to try and lock him up on a new deal before he has the chance to put up another strong campaign.
1. 3B Rafael Devers
After a disappointing sophomore season, Devers exploded in 2019. The 23-year-old practically played at an MVP level, posting a 5.3 bWAR while amassing 32 home runs and 115 RBI. He was a machine on offense and showed all the signs of being a franchise star at the hot corner. Considering that Devers still has plenty of team control left, a deal this late in the offseason isn't out of the realm of possibility, especially since such a move would save the team money in the long run. With shortstop Xander Bogaerts entering a new deal in 2020, extending Devers should be Boston's priority so they can solidify the left side of their infield for years to come.