In Spite of Pitching Woes, the Red Sox Keep Swinging

The Red Sox got Verdugo, Downs and Connor Wong, the catcher at Worcester, in the deal that sent Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020. Look around the Fenway stands or Back Bay streets, and you still see plenty of No. 50 jerseys, and they’re not for Saturday’s starter, Kutter Crawford.

Trading Betts will sting for a while, and lends an undercurrent of dread here about the future of other homegrown stars. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts can opt out of his contract this fall, and third baseman Rafael Devers is eligible for free agency after next season. The Red Sox have cut back on payroll recently and have other infield options: second baseman Trevor Story, who signed a six-year deal in March, and the top prospect Marcelo Mayer, a shortstop in low Class A.

“That’s not entirely up to me,” Devers said through an interpreter Saturday, when asked about signing long-term with the Red Sox. “But I don’t know any other team. I love this city, I love my teammates, I love my coaches. So, yeah, of course I would love to be here. But at the end of the day, it’s not in my hands.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/sports/baseball/red-sox-yankees.html