Rafaela’s deal official; details are revealed
The Red Sox made Ceddanne Rafaela’s eight-year, $50 million deal official Wednesday ahead of the team’s 7-5 loss to the Orioles at Fenway Park.
The contract will take effect immediately, overriding his previous one-year agreement and running through 2031, with a team option for 2032.
With a $2 million signing bonus, Rafaela will make $1 million in 2024 and 2025, $2 million in 2026, $3.5 million in 2027, $5.5 million in 2028, $7.5 million in 2029, $10.5 million in 2030, $13 million in 2031, and either $16 million or a $4 million buyout in the 2032 option year.
The deal, which began to come to fruition at the start of the season, includes potential escalators for 2030-32 based on MVP votes and/or All-Star selections.
In 40 big league games, Rafaela is hitting .227/.269/.370 with two homers while flashing potentially elite defensive ability in center, and the ability to shift to shortstop or second base.
“He’s not the final product,” said manager Alex Cora before the game. “But we take this and we know he’s a good one. There are a few things that we have to help him to be better at and he understands that. But there are other things that we’re just going to maintain. Very happy for the organization and very happy for him. Let’s see what the future holds.”
For Rafaela, the deal represents financial security for a player who signed for $10,000 out of Curaçao in 2017.
Yet the 23-year-old isn’t satisfied. “When you say security it feels like it’s enough but it’s not,” said Rafaela. “There’s a lot more to do. A lot more to achieve. [But] It’s good to help your family. I think that’s what every son wants to do. I’m pretty happy I can do that.”
For the Sox, it affords cost certainty for a player with a game-changing glove and what the team sees as intriguing offensive potential based — albeit with the need to develop his plan of attack and selectivity at the plate.
“We talked pretty frequently about his swing decisions,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “I don’t think that that’s any surprise what we saw in spring training. With some focus and some deliberate training, he was able to impact [the baseball]. That’s something that we need to remain focused on because when he makes great decisions at the plate, he hits the ball really hard. He hits the ball in the air. He obviously can run and the defense speaks for itself.”
Rafaela joins righthander Brayan Bello as the club’s two young players to receive new contracts this season. While the club has had discussions with other young players, including first baseman Triston Casas, it’s unlikely that any other extensions will be negotiated in the near future.
“It’s impossible to handicap perfectly what the chances are of getting another deal across the line,” added Breslow. “I would say I don’t see anything that’s particularly close right now. And I do think it makes sense at some point to focus on the season, give players some clarity around what we’re trying to accomplish every day, and give us a chance to assess more broadly what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Murphy has surgery
The Red Sox announced that lefthanded reliever Chris Murphy underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington, Texas.
Murphy, who began feeling discomfort in the elbow during spring training, is on the 60-day injured list. He made 20 appearances out of the bullpen last season, compiling a 4.91 ERA, and was a possible depth option for the rotation this season.
Platoon plans
Cora reiterated that the team will use a platoon at shortstop. David Hamilton will play against righties while Romy Gonzalez will see much of the time against lefties. Gonzalez went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run on Wednesday. Cora remained adamant that Rafaela will be the team’s everyday center fielder and will only play shortstop occasionally . . . The goal is for Vaughn Grissom [hamstring] to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. He will primarily play second base, but the Sox will reintroduce him to shortstop as well. Outfielder Rob Refsnyder (toe) began a rehab assignment for Triple A Worcester at Syracuse Thursday, going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts as the designated hitter. “He needs at-bats in his role,” said Cora regarding Refsnyder, who can go days without playing if a lefty isn’t on the mound. “I’m not saying he’s going to get 50 at-bats during his rehab assignments. I know he had some live batting practices [in Fort Myers]. I think timing is very important. That’s something that we have to make sure when he gets here he’s ready to go.”... Jackson Holliday, the top prospect in baseball, made his major league debut for the Orioles, batting ninth and playing second base. He went 0 for 4 with an RBI and two strikeouts. In 10 games at Triple A Norfolk, Holliday hit .333/.482/.595 with a 1.077 OPS and two homers. “For baseball, it’s great,” Cora said of Holliday, the son of former big leaguer Matt Holliday. “But for the American League East, it sucks.”