The Boston Red Sox have made a shocking move and traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. Devers’ tensions with the organization have been well documented over the last few months.
Devers’ dispute with the organization goes back to spring training when the team signed Alex Bregman and planned to move Devers to DH. Devers pushed back on the idea, but eventually became the everyday DH. After a poor start, he settled in, but when Triston Casas went down, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow asked Devers to play first base. Devers did not take kindly to the request and went on a rant about the organization’s treatment of him and even told the media that Breslow needs to focus on hitting the market and not on making him switch positions again.
Despite Devers’ problems with the front office and being moved to DH, he was still posting for the Red Sox. He was slashing .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs. In fact, he hit a home run on the same day he ended up being traded. The Red Sox are 1/2 a game out of a wild card spot, but just traded their best hitter.
Devers signed a 10-year, $313 million deal in 2023. His contract includes $7.5 million deferred annually from 2034-2043. The San Francisco Giants are now on the hook for all of that money and the remained of his 10-year deal, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
Devers helped bring a World Series to the Red Sox in 2018. However, in recent months, it was clear that there was tension between him and the organization. The Giants will not be able to fill his desire to play third base, but they now have a designated hitter they can deploy every day as they chase the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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The Giants are 41-30, exceeding their preseason expectations. They are one game back of the reigning World Series champions in the National League West and just added one of the best hitters in the game. Devers was an expensive acquisition for the Giants, but the Red Sox now have space to attack the trade market and free agency next winter.
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