For a cynically minded observer it didn’t seem hard to connect the dots. The Red Sox pursuit of Rafael Devers didn’t get serious until the club had lost Xander Bogaerts, and especially not until after principal owner John Henry was booed at Fenway Park during the Winter Classic.
As it turns out, the two sides were already well on their way to a deal by that point and had just reached a breakthrough two nights earlier.
This week the Red Sox and Devers finalized an 11-year, $331 million contract extension that will keep the two-time All-Star in Boston for the next decade. During Wednesday’s press conference both sides spoke about how the seeds of that agreement were planted during a Dec. 14 meeting in the Dominican Republic, and how a series of late night negotiations on New Years Eve ultimately keyed the breakthrough that paved the way for the historic deal.
During that Dec. 14 meeting Henry and the entire Red Sox leadership team flew down to Santo Domingo to meet with Devers and his representatives in person. The fact that Henry and the owners made the trip made a big impression on Devers, who said he knew at that point the Red Sox were serious and that things were going to work out.
“My thought process was they wouldn’t come all the way to the Dominican Republic for no reason so I had a lot of confidence that it was going to happen,” Devers said.
“The fact that [Henry] was there, I know that was important for Raffy,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “The message was loud and clear. You’re the guy and we want you.”
Negotiations were already well underway even before that meeting, and Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said the club made its first offer to Devers before the playoffs even ended in October. Things accelerated quickly once December began, however, and Bloom confirmed that the Dec. 14 meeting was the first time the club formally offered Devers a deal in excess of $300 million.
Cora said it was a special moment being in the room when that number was spoken aloud.
“His reaction was great, it was priceless,” Cora said. “His eyes got as big as when he sees a fastball right down the middle.”
Even after what all sides agreed was a positive discussion, there was still ground to cover. Bloom said he and agent Nelson Montes de Oca stepped out during the meeting and made clear they still had hurdles to clear, and the two remained heavily engaged throughout the holidays, particularly over the week following Christmas.
That culminated New Years Eve night, when the Red Sox and Devers’ representatives held a Zoom call that Bloom said ended with the two sides still far apart. From there he and Montes de Oca got on the phone and spent the rest of the evening talking things out, and by around 11 p.m. Bloom sat back and watched the remainder of the Georgia-Ohio State football game feeling confident an agreement might be close.
“I hung up the phone feeling better than I had earlier that night,” Bloom said. “But it still took us days after that to get to an agreement.”
Through all the twists and turns both sides ultimately arrived at the place they wanted. Devers said he preferred not to go to free agency and that he always wanted to stay to Boston, the place he’s grown up as a professional and the place that’s become his home. The Red Sox felt the same, seeing Devers as a special player who could serve as the foundation for the sustainable championship contender they hope to build.
“We have always wanted to make a long-term extension with Raffy,” said Red Sox chairman Tom Werner. “We think he’s one of the great players in baseball, we think his best years are even ahead of him.”
Now fans can take solace knowing that no matter what happens with the Red Sox, Devers isn’t going anywhere for a long, long time.
Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com.
Twitter: @MacCerullo.