Tomase: Among MLB’s $300 million men, Devers hasn’t measured up

When it came to a $300 million contract, Devers just didn’t get there

Devers is at the top of a very good percentage. The Red Sox need him to be great.
Rafael Devers doesn’t have the worst $300 million contract in baseball. Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton will take care of that, and the vulnerable slugger is on New York’s books through 2027. However, if Stanton’s departure wasn’t questionable, it could be Devers. Former baseball manager Chaim Bloom trumpeted his $313.5 million contract as the start of something andquot;awesome,andquot; but after an unforgettable year, there is even more reason to worry.
No one wants to hear that, because after sending Mookie Betts out the door and tracking down Xander Bogaerts, the Red Sox couldn’t afford to lose another self-made star. Devers capitalized on their desperation with a 13-year contract that was generally well-received because it offered one data point that contradicted the notion that owner John Henry had thrown his check over the side of his yacht.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Subscribe to our All Access Daily newsletter here. But signing Devers to such a huge contract will always be a risk, and new baseball manager Craig Breslow will no doubt consider the potential downsides as he crafts a long-term vision for the direction of the franchise.
And make no mistake, it has its downsides. Devers is big and barrel-shaped, and his head isn’t sure to be healthy even at 20 years old. Heand can consistently play defense in spurts, but the entire season is usually classified as a train wreck. That means he has to derive his value from his bat, and outside of a 2019 breakout, he’s clearly above average only if his salary justifies a move. If it seems like Devers didn’t have much success last year, that’s because it and#039; Stopgap veteran Justin Turner made long runs, but Devers never found that secondary zone where he put it all together and put the bat on his back like he did in July 2019 with 34-RBI.
Even though he played 10 times in April, Devers seemed out of rhythm and was the first to allow 33 home runs, and the 100 turnovers represented mostly empty calories. His background numbers remained strong, leading the league for the third year in a row in most andquot;expectedandquot; classes – but he pays for actual, not theoretical production.
Making matters worse is his poor defense, which could force a full-time move to DH. He led the American League third in errors for a record sixth straight year and looked so lost in the bottom that he buried his head in his glove on the field, a terrifying sight from the apparent leader. His ongoing struggles call into question his long-term viability at the position, because at some point you are no longer a candidate to fix. You are just unreliable.
The Red Sox have so religiously cast Devers as the centerpiece of their next great team — president Tom Werner mentioned him recently to dispel the notion that they lack star power — that it’s easy to stop questioning. But is he really a franchise player or is he just getting a similar salary? Of the 12 players making at least $300 million, the only two worse than Devers (11.6) in WAR over the last three years are Mike Trout (11.0) and Stanton (3.0 … again, Ouch).
There are mitigating factors in Trout’s case in the form of his ongoing injuries. Despite playing in barely half as many games as Devers, he gave the Angels nearly identical production.
Health is important, though, so Devers deserves credit for playing through serious injuries in 2022 and averaging 150 games in 2021. He’s still well behind WAR leaders Aaron Judge (21.1), Betts (18.7) and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (15.6). . He’s also ahead of San Diego’s Manny Machado (14.8), Philly’s Trea Turner (14.7), Francisco Lindor (14.6) and the Padres’ struggling but talented Fernando Tati (12.1). .
Two other players near him on the roster added to their resumes in other ways. Phillies superstar Bryce Harper (12.0) is not only the heart and soul of his team, but also the city, and the monster postseason continues. Head#039; is a Philadelphia icon with his trademark flowing long hair, the perfect combination of talent and grit.
Heand is this generation and Charlie Hustle, and Heand is not only a game-changing talent, but a culture-changing talent. That’s enough to keep the two-time MVP valuable despite a full-time shift to first base after elbow surgery.
Then there’s World Series MVP Corey Seager (14.4). He looked like a potential breakout in his Texas debut in 2022, but rose to stardom that year before taking his game to a new level in October and leading the Rangers to their first title.
Seager is now a two-time World Series MVP, putting him in exclusive company with Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson. Heand is a franchise player and Gold Glove finalist in the game and the most important position. The Rangers paid him for the top spot in the championship and he served in the second year.
Devers is just not that kind of guy. Heand is a complementary star. The Red Sox still call him the boy, even though he’s in his eighth season. I don’t question his work ethic or desire, but I do wonder about his ceiling. Head#039; is one of the best in percentage really good when the Red Sox need him to be great.