It's rare for the Tampa Bay Rays to win a free-agent bidding war against the Boston Red Sox, but Zach Eflin's preference to play close to his home was a deciding factor in the race for his signature.
Per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox were confident they had an agreement in place with Eflin for three years and $40 million.
Speier noted Eflin took that offer to the Rays, who were willing to match it. Joel Sherman of the New York Post and MLB Network first reported the right-hander agreed to a deal with Tampa.