The Boston Red Sox are facing high expectations in 2022 after making a surprise postseason run in 2021 that saw them get within two wins of reaching the World Series.
Getting back to the American League Championship Series will be a tough task for Boston. The competition around them has become stronger over the offseason. The New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have all made meaningful additions to their rosters ahead of the new season.
Red Sox infield preview 2022: Devers/Bogaerts dilemma looms large
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The Red Sox, at least on paper, still have more talent than most MLB teams. That's particularly true up and down the Red Sox lineup, where four of Boston's players appeared on MLB.com's annual list of the top 100 players in the sport.
Here's a recap of the Red Sox players who made the 2022 version of the list:
- 22. Rafael Devers, 3B
- 23. Xander Bogaerts, SS
- 69. Trevor Story, 2B
- 79. J.D. Martinez, RF/DH
Devers, in particular, made a huge jump in MLB.com's ranking. He ranked No. 65 entering 2021, which represents a more-than-40 spot jump over the last 12 months.
Boston Red Sox
It makes sense, though. Devers had an excellent 2021 season during which he batted .279 with 38 home runs, 113 RBI, 165 hits, 101 runs scored and a .338 on-base percentage in 156 games.
The top two Red Sox players on this list, Devers and Bogaerts, need long-term contracts. Devers is able to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 campaign. Bogaerts can opt out of his current deal after the upcoming season.
Tomase: Are Red Sox actually wise to delay Rafael Devers' extension?
It would behoove the Red Sox to pay these players and keep them in the fold a long time. Both Devers and Bogaerts are not only very productive players, they are two of the most popular stars on the team with a proven pedigree of playoff success.
These are the types of players the Red Sox can ill-afford to lose, especially after the departure of superstar outfielder Mookie Betts a few years ago.