I'm sticking with my prediction that Vlad is extended at some point, but it might be something like Devers where it happens closer to his free agency. The hope of a team friendly deal has long gone. He's too close to free agency now to settle for anything less than what he perceives he's worth. If nothing else, the front office has shown that they don't mind paying FA dollars to players, so I'm sure they won't mind overpaying Vlad when the time comes as long as he's performing closer to 2021 levels.