Rafael Devers, Red Sox agree to 11-year, $331M extension, AP source says

Rafael Devers has agreed to an 11-year extension worth $331 million with the Boston Red Sox, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Locking up Devers, a two-time All-Star third baseman, was an important move for the Red Sox and their uneasy fans after All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, slugger J.D. Martinez and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi departed in free agency.

The team and Devers, 26, reached the new deal a day after he agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million contract to avoid arbitration in his final year under team control.

Devers' extension is the longest-term commitment this offseason by the Red Sox and Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, supplanting the five-year, $90 million deal signed by Japanese star Masataka Yoshida.

Devers was the AL's starting All-Star third baseman each of the past two years. In 141 games last season, he batted .295 with 42 doubles, 27 home runs and 88 RBIs.

The Red Sox are trying to bounce back from a 2022 season in which finished 78-84, last in the ultra-competitive AL East. A year earlier, they won 92 games and reached the ALCS.

Smith to be regular

Dominic Smith described his move to the Washington Nationals via a one-year, $2 million contract as a “fresh start” and said the team that finished last in the NL East each of the past three seasons wants him to be its everyday first baseman

“They want me to come in and play first base and just share my knowledge of the game,” Smith said on Wednesday, when the Nationals announced the agreement. His free-agent contract includes up to $2 million in incentives, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

During his time with the Mets, the affable Smith split time between first base, leftfield and designated hitter. He thinks sticking mainly to his natural position at first, where he was blocked by slugger Pete Alonso, will allow him “to just really be comfortable,” Smith said. “It will help me have a clear head at the plate.”  — AP

Angels hire Randazzo

The Anaheim Angels announced the hiring of Wayne Randazzo as the club’s new television play-by-play announcer, as he’s set to be the club’s primary broadcaster on Bally Sports West in 2023. 

Randazzo has nearly 20 years of broadcasting experience at both the national and local level, including the past four seasons as the play-by-play radio announcer for the Mets. He’s also the voice of Friday Night Baseball for Apple TV+ and will continue in that role. Randazzo is expected be the primary play-by-play announcer, calling roughly 130 games, while fellow play-by-play announcers Matt Vasgersian and Patrick O’Neal will fill in on the other broadcasts when Randazzo isn’t available. Mark Gubicza is returning for a 17th season as the club’s color commentator.  

"I'm incredibly grateful to the Los Angeles Angels and Bally Sports West for the wonderful opportunity to be the new television voice of the Angels,” said Randazzo in a statement. “I can't wait to get started alongside my new partners Mark Gubicza, Erica Weston and the production crew to bring Angels baseball to our great fans."  

Randazzo, 38, also spent four seasons as the pregame and postgame host for the Mets Radio Network from 2015-18. He previously did pregame and postgame shows for the White Sox while also serving as a play-by play announcer for various sporting events for ESPN, FS1, Big Ten Network and MLB Network, and he broadcasts the NFL on Sports USA Radio and MLB on FOX. — MLB.com