The Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $17.5 million. Julia Nikhinson/Associated Press
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have agreed to a one-year contract with two-time All-Star Rafael Devers, avoiding salary arbitration.
The deal is for $17.5 million, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not disclose the terms of the contract.
The 26-year-old third baseman, who made $11.2 million last season, will be on Boston’s roster for at least one season in his final year of arbitration eligibility before he can hit the open free-agent market.
Boston will keep one of its key contributors from last season in house after All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, slugger J.D. Martinez and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi all departed in free agency.
The Red Sox’s biggest splash this offseason has been signing Japanese star Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million deal.
There are six remaining unsigned Red Sox players eligible for arbitration: Christian Arroyo, Ryan Brasier, Reese McGuire, Nick Pivetta, Josh Taylor, and Alex Verdugo.
Devers was the American League’s starting third baseman in the 2021 and 2022 All-Star games. In 141 games last season, he batted .295 with 42 doubles, 27 home runs, and 88 RBI.
The Red Sox are trying to bounce back from a difficult 2022 season in which they plummeted to a 78-84 and last-place finish in the AL East a year after winning 92 games, earning a wild-card postseason berth and making it to the ALCS.
YANKEES: Former San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean joined the New York Yankees as executive adviser to GM Brian Cashman.
The 66-year-old Sabean helped lead the Giants to World Series titles in 2010, ’12 and ’14. He was the Giants’ general manager from 1996 until 2014, then was promoted to executive vice president of baseball operations from 2015-18.
Sabean joins former Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry as an adviser to Cashman in a front office that includes assistant general managers Jean Afterman and Mike Fishman, and vice presidents Damon Oppenheimer (domestic amateur scouting), Kevin Reese (player development) and Tim Naehring (baseball operations). Hendry joined the Yankees before the 2012 season as a special assignment scout.
Sabean shifted to an executive vice president role when Farhan Zaidi took over a restructured front office as president of baseball operations after the 2018 season.
Sabean worked for the Yankees as a scout in 1985, then director of scouting from 1986-90 and vice president of player development and scouting from 1990-92. He moved to the Giants in 1993 as assistant to the GM and vice president of scouting/player personnel in 1993 and was promoted to senior vice president of player personnel in 1995.
NATIONALS: Outfielder and first baseman Dominic Smith agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals pending the successful completion of a physical exam, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
The 27-year-old Smith had a career-worst batting average of .194 with zero homers and 17 RBI in 58 games with the New York Mets last season while earning a salary of $3.95 million. He was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse on May 31, when he was hitting .186 through 101 plate appearances, then returned to the majors after a three-week stint in the minors.
Smith hit well during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, putting up a career-high average of .316 and a .993 OPS, but struggled at the plate since then.
ORIOLES: Baltimore acquired first baseman Ryan O’Hearn from the Kansas City Royals for cash.
The 29-year-old O’Hearn hit .239 with a home run and 16 RBIs last season. He’s spent his first five big league seasons with the Royals.
O’Hearn has played mostly first base in his career, but he’s also spent time in the corner outfield spots.
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