The Red Sox have plenty to brag about as the season winds down, but Ceddanne Rafaela might be the cleanest example of how well this roster has been built. He’s already in line for his second Gold Glove, and now he’s making a real push for another piece of hardware: the American League Silver Slugger in the outfield.
Rafaela’s offensive jump has been impossible to ignore. Through 128 games, he’s hitting .285/.323/.455 with 32 doubles, three triples and 16 home runs.
His 145 hits are tied for eighth-most in the league as of August 27, and his 32 doubles lead all of baseball. For a player who already carried elite defensive value, that kind of production changes the conversation fast.
The defense, of course, hasn’t gone anywhere. Rafaela has paired the improved bat with 16 outs above average, 99th percentile range and 20 defensive runs saved, making him one of the most complete players on the Red Sox roster. The Silver Slugger won’t account for that glove work, but it only reinforces how much he brings to the table.
That’s what makes his contract extension look even sharper now. Boston locked him up early in the 2024 season on an eight-year, $50 million deal with a club option for 2032.
With an average annual value a little above $6 million, the deal has already become a steal and may end up as one of Craig Breslow’s best moves as chief baseball officer. Rafaela has the defense, the emerging offense and his first All-Star nod this season, and the ceiling still feels higher.
He’ll have competition for the outfield Silver Slugger, but the field is not as crowded as usual. Aaron Judge has missed three months with an injury, removing a near-lock from the mix. Rafaela also compares favorably with Cody Bellinger, one of the other Yankees outfield candidates, since he has more hits, doubles, home runs and a higher average.
There are other names in the race, too. Riley Greene, a winner last year, is slashing .273/.366/.450.
Mike Trout is at .241/.382/.434 after a strong start. Byron Buxton, at .254/.319/.511, and Julio Rodriguez, at .247/.309/.408, have both faded in July and August.
If Rafaela comes away with the Silver Slugger, it would add another trophy to a case that already includes what should be a second Gold Glove. More than that, it would underline just how valuable Boston’s extension really is - a team-friendly deal that already looks like one of the best in the league.
In Other News...
Red Sox Could Get A Huge Boost For Yankees Finale
The Red Sox are on the verge of getting a pair of important reinforcements back for a high-profile finish in New York, with Roman Anthony and Trevor Story expected to come off the injured list before the series finale against the Yankees. Both players have finished rehab assignments and are already en route to New York, giving Boston a chance to add some needed depth to a lineup that has been working through the late-season stretch without them.
The roster moves have not been made official yet, but the timing would matter for a club sitting in the No. 5 seed in the American League and trying to keep momentum in a tight race. Anthony's return would add another layer to the outfield mix, while Story brings an established presence back to the infield, leaving Boston with a more complete look for one of its biggest games of the week. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox September Roster Crunch Could Cost Familiar Names Their Role
September is bringing the usual roster squeeze in Boston, only this one comes with a few recognizable names on the way back. The Red Sox are expected to get healthier as Trevor Story, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Roman Anthony re-enter the picture, with Curtis Mead also possibly in the mix, and that kind of depth tends to reshape the edges of the roster quickly.
For players already in place, the question is less about whether they belong than how often theyll actually get to play. Anthony Siegler, Jovani Morn and Jarren Duran are among the current names most likely to feel the pressure as the club balances returns from injury with possible additions from the minors, and the next round of roster decisions could say plenty about how Boston wants to distribute at-bats and innings down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Let Big Opportunity Slip And Sunday Just Got Bigger
The Red Sox came away from Saturday with a split against the Yankees, and it left the standings looking much less friendly than they might have after the opener. Boston rolled to a 6-0 win in the first game of the doubleheader, then dropped the nightcap 9-2, a result that put New York back in front by three games and tightened the pressure heading into the final meeting of the series.
Sunday now carries a different kind of weight for Boston, with Ranger Surez lined up to start against Yankees right-hander Will Warren. After missing a chance to make a bigger statement in the middle of a packed weekend, the Red Sox get one more shot to change the tone before the series and the standings head in a very different direction. [Read more 🡒]