Why Shocking Rafael Devers Trade Actually Makes Sense For Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox pulled off a stunning trade on Sunday night when they dealt Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants from seemingly out of nowhere. In return, the Red Sox landed pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, in addition to prospects James Tibbs III and Jose Bello.

While Devers’ relationship with Boston’s front office has been tense all year long, there was virtually no sign that a deal was on the horizon until it was initially reported. Less than a year-and-a-half into his 10-year, $313.5 million contract, Devers finds himself with a completely new team.

The immediate aftermath of this trade saw an outcry from Red Sox fans who were furious with the team’s decision to move on from Devers. In the blink of an eye, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow became one of the most unpopular people in the city of Boston.

Is the reaction from fans justified, though? The situation with Devers ended up being reported as “unsalvageable,” making it seem like a trade was inevitable. Breslow’s decision to bite the bullet midway through June isn’t a popular one, but it’s worth taking a closer look at the deal and the circumstances.

The biggest component of this trade saw the Giants take on the entirety of Devers’ contract, which will give the Red Sox the sort of financial flexibility teams dream about. Devers didn’t pan out, but in theory, Boston has the spending power to go out and replace him now.

The players coming back for Devers don’t jump off the page, and it’s not hard to see why. Hicks is currently on the injured list, and Harrison immediately got sent to Triple-A. While Tibbs is a high-upside prospect, Bello wasn’t even one of San Francisco’s top 30 prospects before getting dealt.

Harrison and Tibbs have the most potential of this group, and if they pan out, it will help soften the blow of losing Devers. Hicks has not been good this season (6.47 ERA), but he has a track record of success as a high-leverage reliever during previous stints with the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays, which is the role the Red Sox should use him in.

Ultimately, the Devers trade will be defined by what Boston’s front office does now that his salary is off their books. Losing a franchise player hurts, but pretty much every mathematical metric views his contract as a negative, especially now that he’s being used as an everyday designated hitter.

The optics admittedly aren’t great, but the Red Sox have a chance to prove that the Devers trade is different from their ill-fated Mookie Betts trade from 2020. If they play their cards right, this deal will go down as a major steal for Boston in a few years, despite what everyone is saying now.