The Boston Red Sox have locked up their center fielder for the next eight years.
Or have they? Maybe they’ve locked up their shortstop. Or second baseman. Or right fielder. Or super utility man. Or maybe they’ve just locked up someone who will never hit well enough to be a regular in the big leagues.
The interesting thing about Ceddanne Rafaela, who, yesterday, signed an eight-year, $50 million extension that keeps him in Boston for an additional two years over the life his rookie contract, is that we still have no idea who he is as a player.