Just one year before he would have otherwise entered free agency as a 27-year-old big-lefty bat and outstanding third baseman, Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox shattered many hearts by agreeing to a long-term agreement with his organization during the offseason. It would have been quite liberating to pursue that. What if that had happened.
It’s not as though Devers was wrong to accept the $313.5 million offer from the only company he had ever worked for. That’s precisely what a lot of males want to accomplish.
Naturally, the second thing those individuals would hope for is that, should they decide to stay in the long run, the team would surround them with a strong roster that would enable them to contend each season.
It’s no secret that the Boston Red Sox have done very nothing to strengthen their squad for 2024, despite their initial “full throttle” vows at the beginning of the summer. At the beginning of Red Sox camp, Rafael Devers stated it out loud and without hesitation, so it’s really not a mystery.
“Everyone is aware of our needs. You are aware of our needs. They’re aware of our needs,” he remarked. Some things I’m not allowed to express aloud. Everyone familiar with the organization and the game is aware of our needs.
Rafael Devers expressed his opinions about the Red Sox roster without holding back:
“They (the Red Sox ownership) must change in order to give our players a better chance to win.”
It was evident that Red Sox ownership had brought in new president Craig Breslow, who had recently joined from the Cubs, to oversee a reconstruction. A chilly slap in the face to Red Sox supporters who have just endured a rebuild under Chaim Bloom and have watched their team finish in last place over the past two and three seasons. Apparently, Devers also received a cold slap.
It was difficult for a Cubs fan to watch Devers’ remarks and not instantly consider the team’s shortcomings that have gone unaddressed this winter.
However, the Cubs play in a league that is incredibly winnable, in contrast to the Red Sox, who play in a massive division where it was going to take a TITANIC summer to get their squad on level with the Orioles, Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays. While the Cubs had a more clearer opportunity to improve their 2024 squad this winter, it’s possible that the Red Sox have done less.
To which I would respond, you still have time. I hope the Cubs bring back a specific bat, but I’m not sure what the Red Sox will or won’t do in the weeks leading up to Opening Day.
While I’m not requesting that the Cubs sign Cody Bellinger to a shocking contract a la Eric Hosmer, I do hope that their apparent plan of sticking with their offer in the hopes that they will be the only serious suitor succeeds. Soon.
In the end, I’m just drawn to a lot of the events surrounding the Red Sox these days. Once upon a time, the Cubs openly attempted to imitate Red Sox practices, and the similarities between the two teams were evident. They even still share a great deal of front office executives.
While I’m not claiming that the Cubs and Red Sox will experience exactly the same things (or vice versa), it has seemed for some time that they had comparable ownership structures, front offices, revenue levels, historical stature, and other characteristics. Thus, yes. I focus.
