Xander Bogaerts can — and likely will — opt into free agency this offseason, J.D. Martinez will be a free agent and Rafael Devers is slated to be one after next season.
And Boston Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez has sent out a warning to his former club if it loses its superstars.
Despite missing out on the postseason, Bogaerts and Devers were hardly to blame.
Bogaerts was in the race for the AL batting title, while Devers owns an .884 OPS since 2019. Both were named All-Stars this summer.
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If the Sox let them walk, the Hall of Famer thinks that can change "the essence of the franchise."
"If Xander opts out and leaves the team and J.D. leaves the team, I think Devers is most likely going to head the same way. Those guys are going to go. They're not going to have the essence of the franchise that we left," he told The Boston Globe. "The culture that we left is going to be lost. And we don't know when we're going to get it back and how we're going to get it back."
The three-time Cy Young Award winner was alluding to the fact that the Red Sox nucleus has learned from a previous one. Devers and Bogaerts had David Ortiz and, to an extent, Dustin Pedroia. That duo had Jason Varitek, Manny Ramirez and Martinez. Devers and Bogaerts can be the mentors of Jeter Downs, Triston Casas and top prospect Marcelo Mayer.
The Red Sox have reached the pinnacle four times since 2004 but have also been inconsistent in their overall success. From 2010 to 2022, they have missed the postseason eight times, yet they have two World Series titles in that span.
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After the Sox missed out on the postseason in 2019, they brought in Chaim Bloom as head of baseball operations. Bloom has said he intends to keep Bogaerts, who just turned 30, and Devers, who turns 26 Oct. 24.
The Sox would be silly to not want them back. However, they may need to empty their wallets for some starting pitching. While Chris Sale unable to remain healthy, Boston starters had the eighth-worst ERA in baseball at 4.49. The bullpen was even worse. Its 4.59 ERA was the fifth-highest in the big leagues.
The Sox finished in last place in the American League East this season at 78-84.
