Star third baseman Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox agreed on a one-year, $17.5 million contract to avoid arbitration on Tuesday, sources told ESPN, a sign that the sides continue to communicate in hopes of striking a long-term extension.

Devers, 26, is set to reach free agency following the 2023 season, but after losing homegrown stars Mookie Betts via trade and Xander Bogaerts via free agency, the Red Sox are motivated to strike a deal that would keep Devers in a Boston uniform well into his 30s.