Rafael Devers signed a massive contract extension last offseason that will keep him with the Boston Red Sox for the foreseeable future.
And the star third baseman certainly wouldn’t mind seeing the Red Sox lock in Triston Casas for the long term as well.
Casas revealed that he’s had contract extension talks with the Red Sox this offseason but not much came from it. Devers hopes that changes and wants Casas to become the other cornerstone of the franchise with the contract to match.
“They haven’t told me anything, but if that’s the case, I hope they come to an agreement because I want to play with him for a long time,” Devers told reporters through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez on Tuesday from JetBlue Park, per team-provided video. “We know the type of player that he is, we know how good he is and I do believe that he’s going to be one of the best players in the league. That will be something great for the organization.”
Casas shrugged off a terrible start to last season — he batted .133 through the first 25 games — before truly showing his tremendous potential over the second half of the season. The power-hitting first baseman hit a robust .317 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs after the All-Star break. That strong finish helped the 24-year-old take third place in Rookie of the Year voting.
It’s all the rage in today’s MLB for young and promising stars to ink sizable contract extensions. Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. just received an 11-year, $288 million deal from the Kansas City Royals after two seasons in the big leagues.
The Red Sox could be waiting to see if Casas can build off the momentum from his rookie season and turn in a stellar campaign during his second season with Boston. And if he does, then perhaps a brinks trunk will be watching for Casas.
That sure would make Devers happy.
