The youngest player on the team, 23-year-old Ceddanne Rafaela, signed an eight-year contract with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
There is a 2032 team option included in the deal. Rafaela, who has played center field, shortstop, and second base in 39 major league games, is batting.233 with two home runs.
He was named the team’s baserunner of the year the previous season and was honored by the organization twice as the minor league defensive player of the year.
He served 35 days in the major leagues at the start of this season, and he probably would have been qualified for free agency after the 2029 season and salary arbitration after the 2026 season.
The one-year contract that was agreed to last month, which stipulated a wage of $743,500 in the main leagues and $120,600 in the minor levels, is replaced by the long-term arrangement.
Boston has struggled to hang onto its stars, finishing last in the AL East in three of the previous four seasons. A year after winning the 2018 AL MVP award, Mookie Betts was moved in a salary dump, while shortstop Xander Bogaerts left as a free agent.
The Red Sox have already awarded huge contracts to top young pitcher Brayan Bello ($55 million for six years) and third baseman Rafael Devers ($331 million for 11 years) in an effort to buck the trend.
