The Boston Red Sox have at least one contractual decision from 2024 to pat themselves on the back about.
As certain contracts ominously weigh down Boston’s payroll (and by “certain contracts,” one means Trevor Story), the Red Sox can be thankful that they signed 23-year-old Ceddanne Rafaela to a long-term extension this spring.
Rafaela’s play this season indicates he is a bona fide rising star in Major League Baseball, making his eight-year, $50 million extension a potentially ridiculous bargain moving forward.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow can point to Rafaela’s extension as one of his better moves since taking over in Boston.
Rafaela was a noted talent entering this season, but few expected him to be in Rookie of the Year conversations, which has happened. In early August, manager Alex Cora told reporters that Rafaela was a part of the American League Rookie of the Year discussion.
While Rafaela has cooled off somewhat since then — and other candidates for ROTY have surged — he’s still considered among the best young talents in baseball.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter released a piece entitled, “Austin Wells, Jackson Chourio and Top 25 MLB Rookies of 2024”, and ranked Rafaela at No. 18 while commenting on his value.
“While the .290 on-base percentage and 3.1 percent walk rate leave a lot to be desired, Rafaela has been an extremely valuable player for the Red Sox this season,” Reuter said. “The 23-year-old has provided some thump at the bottom of the lineup while playing elite defense in center field and filling in capably over 578 innings of action at shortstop. The eight-year, $50 million extension he signed in April looks like a shrewd move by the Boston front office.”
One of the most intriguing aspects of Rafaela’s game is his defensive versatility. Based on his ability to play virtually anywhere — along with Boston’s loaded organizational depth in the infield — it remains an exciting mystery where Rafaela will land positionally in 2025 and beyond.
