The Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday in exchange for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison and a pair of prospects (outfielder James Tibbs III and pitcher Jose Bello). The teams had been discussing a Devers deal for the past few weeks.
Devers, in his ninth season with the club, had been the last member of the 2018 World Champions still in a Boston uniform. He's also in the second year of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract.
Initial news of the trade stunned the entire SoSH membership like a torpedo bat to the back of the noggin. I mean every. single. poster. Completely out of the blue. I have to assume Devers's reluctance/refusal to move to first base was a factor to some extent. As Ian Browne (mlb.com) reports:
[T]hings got turbulent between Devers and the Red Sox this past Spring Training . . .
Devers, a below-average defender according to the error column and the metrics, had played third base his entire career. He initially balked at the idea of transitioning to DH [after Alex Bregman was signed] in meetings with the Red Sox and in comments to the media before he reluctantly agreed to the arrangement in March. . . .
[A]nother storm cloud arrived when first baseman Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon on May 2 and was lost for the season.
Searching for potential solutions at first base, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow asked Devers if he would consider playing the position. Devers declined.
Devers also reportedly refused (on several occasions) to take grounders at third and first during spring training. It's possible Devers asked to be traded.
Well, I can say that I witnessed Dever's (possibly) last hit with the Red Sox, a home run during the third game of a sweep against the MFY, in person at Fenway Park. It's unfortunate that his tenure came to such an abrupt end, but (1) it unloads $250M worth of contract money that may be used elsewhere, and (2) it gives more opportunity for the kids (Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony) to develop as big leaguers.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there is still a strong possibility that the Sox can make the postseason as a wild card, and with how it's now structured, there's a chance they can make a run like they did in 2021, when they snuck in on the last day of the season and got within two wins of the World Series. Of course, I'd also like to see them finish above .500 for the first time since 2021!