Red Sox are positioning fans for disappointment with Bogaerts, Devers

After a tough season, the Boston Red Sox appear to be setting up their fans for what could be disappointing news regarding contracts for Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers.

The Boston Red Sox finished the 2022 campaign with a 78-84 mark, placing them last in the American League East. The two brightest spots on the team were Bogaerts and Devers, who finished first and second, respectively, in bWAR at 5.8 and 4.4, the only two members of the Red Sox to earn 4.0 bWAR or more.

Direction with Bogaerts, Devers could be downer for Boston Red Sox fans

That was then, however. Now comes an offseason where Bogaerts is a free agent and one of the most coveted shortstops on the market, with even the rival New York Yankees seeing if the 30-year-old might be a fit. The 26-year-old Devers, meanwhile, becomes a free agent in 2024, but discussions have been underway about a potential extension.

Now reports have come out that say the Red Sox may even be “sweetening the offers” to both Bogaerts and Devers. It’s a step that the franchise hopes not only saves face with its fan base, but also ensures the duo is a part of the Fenway Park fabric for years to come.

"“Coming out of [last week’s] GM meetings, I can tell you that we have been very proactive, though I know people don’t want to hear about how aggressive we’ve been, because it doesn’t mean anything until there’s something to announce,” Boston CEO and president Sam Kennedy told Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe."

Kennedy understands that Red Sox fans need some good news after a season that fell well short of expectations. But will those “sweetened offers” be enough to keep Bogaerts from bolting Boston? If Bogaerts leaves, will Devers be willing to stay without someone who is not only a teammate, but also a very close friend on and off the diamond as well?

Words matter, but actions matter more. Red Sox management is saying all of the right things right now, but will it be enough to keep a pair of stars in Boston? Red Sox fans are hoping so, while also bracing for the worst-case scenario.