If David Ortiz had it his approach, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers can be staying with the Red Sox for a very long time.
The two All-Stars’ futures stay unsure. Bogaerts can decide out of his contract after this season, Devers can turn out to be a free agent after the 2023 season, and neither have seemingly come near agreeing to a contract extension. On Thursday, Ortiz was outspoken once more as he urged the Red Sox to discover a solution to hold their homegrown stars.
“I know what to expect from those guys,” Ortiz mentioned throughout a Zoom name forward of his Hall of Fame induction subsequent week. “I know exactly what I’m going to get from the two of them. … They are the best players that can represent the Red Sox better than anybody else as of right now, and we need to lock them in.”
Ortiz cited each Bogaerts and Devers’ excessive stage of success in a troublesome market like Boston as a cause why they must be saved.
“They know how to handle it,” Ortiz mentioned. “They know how it is to play in Boston. Trust me, playing in Boston is not for every type of player. I played there for so long and it’s a distraction for a lot of players. They don’t know how to handle it. I played with a lot of superstars and they’re great somewhere else but when they got to Boston, they struggled because they couldn’t put up with what is going on out there. These two guys, they grew up there. You know what to expect from them. You know what they’re going to give you, so that’s why sometimes I don’t understand how come organizations sometimes walk away from that, and they prefer to explore some other options. I would go with what I know.”
Ortiz performed 4 seasons with Bogaerts, however whereas he by no means performed with Devers, he has a powerful appreciation for the star third baseman and fellow Dominican. When he watches Devers, Ortiz is even reminded of himself.
“One-hundred percent, when I see Devers, it’s like I never left (the game), you know what I’m saying?” Ortiz mentioned. “Because he’s fearless. This child, at such an early age, he appears invincible on the market. Everything goes actually good for him. … I had a dialog with a few of the main leaguers, and we undoubtedly agree on the identical factor. Devers is likely to be one of many high three purest hitters within the sport proper now, in my thoughts. I’m 100% certain as a result of I watch that child hitting and taking part in the sport so many instances that after I watch him, I’m anticipating one thing. …
“I hope the Red Sox make sense about the decision they have to make with him. We have to keep Devers around, man. He’s the face of that organization right now and nobody can argue that.”
Ortiz sang an identical tune about Bogaerts in May, when he mentioned “it would be stupid to let a guy like that go.”
“That guy is a keeper,” Ortiz mentioned at his charity golf match. “Believe it or not. I don’t want to hear the B.S. that there’s somebody else out there in the market better. I know what I’m getting from Bogaerts. That’s why I want Bogaerts. I know what I’m getting from him.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com