The Giants are swinging for the fences in their NL West battle against the mighty Dodgers.
Minutes before starting up a “Sunday Night Baseball” matchup with their division rivals, San Francisco acquired Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers in a stunning blockbuster deal, FanSided’s Robert Murray reported. The 28-year-old Devers signed a 10-year extension with Boston in 2023 and is a three-time All-Star.
The Red Sox didn’t believe Devers lived up to the leadership responsibilities that come with such a large contract and “had enough,” The Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham reported after the deal. ESPN’s Buster Olney added on “Sunday Night Baseball” that Devers had reached an “impasse” with Boston, not responding to owner John Henry, leading to the perception that he would be moved.
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Devers spent the early portion of the season in the headlines for the wrong seasons. Devers was publicly unhappy that Boston’s addition of Alex Bregman moved him off of third base, as the organization’s previous regime promised he would stay at the position, and he balked at the idea of moving to first base when Triston Casas went down with a season-ending injury.
Still, Sunday night’s move was a shocker to everyone outside of the Red Sox and Giants organizations. Here are the details.
DEVERS TRADE GRADES:Â Giants make splash, Red Sox underwhelm
Rafael Devers trade details
Giants receive:
Red Sox receive:
- P Kyle Harrison
- P Jordan Hicks
- OF James Tibbs
- P Jose Bello
The Giants are sending a package that includes pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks to the Red Sox, according to reports, with prospects James Tibbs and Jose Bello also in the deal.Â
Harrison, a former top prospect, is only 23, while Hicks is a veteran who transitioned to a starting role with the Giants but was recently moved back to the bullpen after an ugly start to the year.Â
Tibbs was the Giants’ first-round pick out of Florida State in 2024 and has an .857 OPS with 12 home runs at the Advanced-A level this season. Bello, 20, has worked as a reliever in rookie ball this season.
Devers, meanwhile, is under contract in San Francisco all the way through 2033. That salary comes off the books for the Red Sox, who have three talented young infielders already at the MLB level in Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell to help soften the blow.
Rafael Devers contract details
Devers signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension with the Red Sox in January of 2023. The deal started in 2024 and runs through 2033, which is the All-Star’s age-36 season.
According to reports, the Giants will cover the entirety of Devers’ deal. No money is changing hands, so San Francisco is making a big commitment to a player whose approach wore thin in Boston, while the Red Sox free up a great deal of money and turn toward Bregman and their trio of younger players to help anchor the lineup moving forward.Â
