BOSTON — That escalated quickly. Just hours after completing a three-game sweep of the division-leading New York Yankees, news broke that star player and franchise icon Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants.
When the tweet above was released by Robert Murray, an MLB insider from FanSided.com, I initially thought his account had been hacked. I began frantically refreshing X, waiting for confirmation from another source. Eventually, Jeff Passan confirmed the news, and just like that, the dynamic of the American League East changed significantly.
https://x.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1934387880824340672https://x.com/RedSox/status/1934412315253948643
The trade appears to be a salary dump by the Red Sox, who did not receive much in return and have already optioned Kyle Harrison to Triple-A. The Giants assumed the entirety of the salary from the Red Sox, suggesting that Boston may be shifting toward a youth-focused rebuild.
Devers was pulled off the team flight to Seattle today, the team packed his car and send him on his merry way to San Fran.
The Boston Red Sox have exhibited a pattern of similar transactions. During the 2019–2020 off-season, former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom traded 2018 World Series champion outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three minor-league prospects; two are now in other organizations, and the third has underperformed with Boston.
The Big Three from the mid-2010’s Red Sox will now battle out for the same divison in the NL West, but for different teams. The Red Sox handling of these three is something to be studied. While the beleif was that Mookie Betts would likley have left Boston in free agency, they choose to let Xandar Bogarts left and opted to sign Devers, and now, all three players from the 2018 World Championship core are gone.
During spring training, the relationship between the Boston Red Sox and Rafael Devers deteriorated after the club signed two-time World Series champion and Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman to take over third base, relegating Devers to a full-time designated hitter role. Devers reportedly felt blindsided by the decision, creating friction with the front office. Later in the season, when first baseman Triston Casas underwent season-ending surgery, the organization asked Devers to move to first base; he refused, leading owner John Henry to travel to Kansas City for a face-to-face meeting. Although Devers never formally requested a trade, it is widely believed that he contemplated doing so.
This trade represents a significant move for both teams. For the Red Sox, it raises questions about the urgency of winning in the present, especially as they are reportedly shopping other players such as Trevor Story and Masataka Yoshida while promoting younger talent. This approach provides Boston with an opportunity to evaluate prospects like Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony in a lower-pressure environment, allowing them to ease into their Major League careers.
For the Giants, the message is clear: newly appointed general manager and former World Series champion Buster Posey is committed to winning — and winning now. San Francisco sits just two games behind the Dodgers for the National League West division lead and currently holds a 1.5-game advantage for the second Wild Card spot. This is a team with legitimate World Series aspirations, and Posey, along with his front office, is operating with a sense of urgency that should inspire confidence among fans that a deep postseason run is possible.
Trade Deadline season is underway! Buckle up, it’s already a wild one!