Both Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers turned down contract extension offers from the Boston Red Sox before Opening Day. Judging by reports, the organization didn't come anywhere close to retaining either of their homegrown superstars.
An underwhelmed Bogaerts told the media last week the team offered him a deal, "but it didn't work out and we'll see where it goes from there." As for Devers, ESPN's Jeff Passan recently reported the two sides are at least $100 million apart in negotiations.
MLB insider Jon Heyman added some intel on Wednesday. In a piece for the New York Post, Heyman reports the gap for both players is "likely $100 million, and maybe much more." He states Devers, a free agent after the 2023 campaign, wanted a long-term deal but the team countered with a shorter and far less lucrative offer.
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"Word is, Devers was looking for an ultra-long deal that would have made him a 'Red Sox for life,' while the club was thinking more like a contract for much less length — a kind of half-life deal," Heyman writes. "The team’s exact offer isn’t known, but suffice it to say, they were surely more than $100 million apart."
The talks with Bogaerts, who's set to opt out of his contract after this season, weren't any smoother. Heyman claims Boston offered Bogaerts another year on top of the three he has left on his current deal for about $30 million, bringing his potential total to about $90 million.
"A friend of Bogaerts referred to Boston’s bid as a 'slap in the face,'" Heyman adds.
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The reluctance to pony up for Bogaerts could be correlated to the Red Sox' signing of Trevor Story to a six-year contract. Story is the team's full-time second baseman for 2022, but he previously spent his entire MLB career at shortstop. He'd presumably take over Bogaerts' role if the 2018 World Series champion leaves in free agency.
Bogaerts and Devers both are expected to put off contract talks until after the 2022 season. The Red Sox will have another full offseason to negotiate with Devers, but if the reported $90 million offer for Bogaerts is accurate, that doesn't inspire much optimism in the two sides coming to an agreement next offseason.