When the Red Sox decided to extend Ceddanne Rafaela’s deal, they secured one of their rising stars, an insider told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on Monday.
After a stellar spring training, the 23-year-old was added to the Opening Day roster and made his Major League Baseball debut with the Red Sox in August. Rafaela was not expected to become a free agent until after the 2029 campaign, and he had only appeared in 38 MLB games.
Rafaela is a capable defender who can play both infield and outfield. With Trevor Story sidelined with a shoulder injury, Rafaela’s adaptability may soon be put to the test.
Many Red Sox supporters expressed their joy about the deal on social media as soon as word of the extension spread.
A few weeks after Brady Bello inked a six-year contract extension with the team, Rafaela inked his own. The Red Sox and Triston Casas have held discussions about a contract extension, but no agreement has been reached as of yet.
With a 7-3 record so far in 2024, the Red Sox are off to a scorching start. They will pay respect to Tim and Stacy Wakefield and honor the 2004 squad when they play their home opener on Tuesday afternoon.
READ ON:
The Red Sox promoted David Hamilton over the smoldering Romy Gonzalez. Why?
ANAHEIM, California: Why did the Red Sox choose to move up David Hamilton to the 26-man roster instead of hot prospect Romeo Gonzalez?
With a left shoulder subluxation, Boston put Story on the 10-day disabled list prior to Saturday’s Angel Stadium matchup with Los Angeles.
Gonzalez, who is listed as a 40-man roster player, is having a great season so far with Triple-A Worcester. In six games, the 27-year-old infielder/outfielder is 9-for-24 (.375 batting average), with three home runs, two triples, one double, five runs, ten RBIs, one walk, and four strikeouts. He also has a.407 on-base percentage and a.958 slugging percentage.
with contrast, the 26-year-old Hamilton started the season with five games at Worcester, going 3-for-18 (.167) with two home runs, three runs, two RBIs, two walks, and six strikeouts. Last season, he made 15 appearances with Boston, hitting 4-for-33 (.121) with two doubles.
The Red Sox liked Hamilton because he hits left-handed, according to manager Alex Cora. Gonzalez bats using his right hand.
“Defensive player with left-handed hitting ability,” Cora remarked.
Cora said, “We’re going to platoon at short, we’re going to platoon at second.” We’ll use our imaginations. Still, he’s a strong defender. He is a capable second player. He is a skilled short player. He is able to run. He is a skilled athlete.
