The Boston Red Sox, after a long offseason, finally decided to make Rafael Devers the everyday designated hitter. With Alex Bregman playing third base, Devers is not needed in the hot corner any longer.
Trading Devers seems out of the question, but the Red Sox would be unwise not to at least listen. The Chicago Cubs recently demoted Matt Shaw back to Triple-A Iowa. Shaw is the organization’s top prospect, but he struggled in his first stint in the big league. While listing potential trade candidates to replace him, Newsweek’s Andrew Wright listed Devers.
“Devers made it clear he preferred to stay at third base even after the Red Sox signed third baseman Alex Bregman. He eventually shifted his focus to a full-time DH role, and it has not gone very well,” wrote Wright. “Devers is batting .209 with just two home runs and it is possible he has grown extremely frustrated with his current situation. A trade to the Cubs would put Devers in the same lineup that features Kyle Tucker. That duo batting second and third in the order would be a terrifying sight for any pitcher.”
Devers signed a 10-year, $313 million deal a couple of years ago. Trading him would not be easy, but the Cubs may see an opportunity to compete for a World Series while Kyle Tucker is still there. Tucker could walk in free agency, so the Cubs could be looking to capitalize now.
The Cubs have one of the best farm systems in baseball and could be willing to part ways with some prospects to land a superstar like Devers. Devers is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger. Even though he now claims to have accepted his DH role, he could still want to play at third base like he was so adamant about in the offseason.
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Additionally, playing at third base again could get him back to swinging the bat the way fans expect. Meanwhile, it would allow the Red Sox to move on and feel more comfortable about trying to bring Bregman back next year if he opts out.
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