Pedro Martinez Thinks He Could Have Prevented Rafael Devers Trade

The Boston Red Sox stunned the sports world when they traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants from seemingly out of nowhere on Sunday night. Folks everywhere have been weighing in on this trade, including the legendary Pedro Martinez.

With tension between Devers and the front office brewing all season long, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow decided to pull the trigger on a deal that sent Devers to the Giants. In return, the Red Sox acquired Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello.

The deal has quickly become one of the most divisive moves in MLB history. On one hand, Devers was easily the best hitter in Boston’s lineup, but he also refused to play in the field after moving to designated hitter (for what it’s worth, Devers appears open to playing in the field for San Francisco).

The latter point goes to show just how bad things became between the Red Sox and their former superstar player. When speaking about the deal, Martinez wished that he was given an opportunity to talk to Devers before he was traded, because he feels he could have helped cooler heads prevail.

“I actually had conversations with Alex (Cora) and I said, ‘Alex, I’m open to always being around, and in these kinds of situations, mediate,'” Martinez said on B/R Walk-Off. “I’m pretty sure Devers would have (listened) if you sent the right people to talk to him.”

Martinez is one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, and he is well-respected within the Red Sox organization. While he isn’t around the team every day, he thinks that had he spoken to Devers, he could have changed the outcome of the situation.

While Martinez’s point is worth considering, it’s also fair to note that the front office could have been intent on trading Devers one way or another. Breslow and CEO Sam Kennedy made it clear that they did not feel Devers lived up to his side of the 10-year, $313.5 million contract he signed back in 2023 by not doing what was best for the team.

Regardless of what may or may not have happened, Boston is looking to move on from this seismic trade, as they will look to pick up their fourth-straight series victory when they take on the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET.