Rafael Devers staying in Boston on an 11-year, $331 million extension seems to set up a nearly decade-long rivalry with Aaron Judge, who signed up for another nine years at $360 million last month to stay in The Bronx.
Theirs will not be the last megadeals handed out by the fabled AL East rivals in the coming years, but for now they are the two largest contracts handed out this offseason — after the Giants backed out of a $350 million deal with Carlos Correa due to concerns about his surgically repaired ankle.
The teams clearly prioritized the two players: The Yankees decided against signing a top-tier free-agent shortstop during the past two offseasons as Judge’s free agency played out, and the Red Sox let a pair of their best young players depart over the past few years.
In 2019, the Red Sox had three of the best young hitters in the game with Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Devers all in their 20s. Now signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres this offseason. It is doubtful the Red Sox have enough to be a threat in the division in 2023, but they surely will be a factor again soon enough with Devers in the middle of the lineup.