Rafael Devers is no longer a Red Sox. The Yankees must be thrilled with the trade

New York Times

7 hours ago

Last season, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was asked which Latin hitter has given him the most trouble throughout his career. His answer was immediate:
'Rafael Devers,' Cole said.
Now, Cole won't have to worry about the slugging lefty nearly as much.
In a shocking blockbuster deal, the Boston Red Sox traded Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday for right-hander Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison and prospects James Tibbs III and Jose Bello, league sources confirmed to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
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The move came after the Red Sox handed the Yankees their first sweep of the season earlier Sunday. They limited the Yankees to just four total runs over three games at Fenway Park. Boston has defeated the Yankees in five of six games this season.
Cole had coughed up eight home runs, 21 RBIs and eight walks, allowing a .357 batting average and a 1.423 OPS in 42 career at-bats against Devers.
But Devers beat up on other pinstriped pitchers, too. He hit .270 with 31 home runs and 78 RBIs in 119 games versus the Yankees in his nine seasons with Boston.
Here is our immediate reaction to the trade and what it means for the Yankees.
BREAKING NEWS: The Boston Red Sox have traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, per The Athletic's @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/0USqQW3upy
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 15, 2025
Kirschner: I am stunned. I was in Boston this weekend, and nothing seemed off with the club. The Red Sox played with way more energy than the Yankees, and Devers, of course, made his mark. It wouldn't be a Yankees-Red Sox series without Devers being a menace to Yankees pitching.
Devers has been one of baseball's best hitters this season, sporting a 148 wRC+. That's a massive bat for the Red Sox to lose. They're also making an enormous bet on their younger players — Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony — to blossom into stars, which is what Devers is.
The Red Sox front office must also feel it can keep Alex Bregman long term. He has an opt-out in his contract after this season (and next season), and if I'm Bregman, I would be wondering what Boston's plans are without Devers. Hoping on prospects is always a gamble.
I wonder if the Red Sox, behind the scenes, were done with how stubborn Devers was in not wanting to move off designated hitter and get back in the field to help after unforeseen injuries. He also publicly expressed displeasure with the front office, which led to owner John Henry, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and team president Sam Kennedy flying to Kansas City to meet with Devers on a road trip earlier this season.
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Kuty: Who would have thought Devers' homer in Sunday's win over the Yankees would be his last with the Red Sox? In a way, it was fitting. It came off Max Fried, the Yankees' current ace with Cole on the injured list. It barely flew over the iconic Green Monster. And it scored only Devers, who got one last trip around the bases at the place he's called home for his whole career.
The move was a stunner in the moment, but not totally shocking to me within the context of this season. It's clear Breslow wanted Devers out, and his scuffle with the team about changing positions left scars on both sides. Nobody was happy, even if the waters had finally seemed to calm.
But Yankees fans have to be thrilled, right? On Friday, we wrote about how to restore the once fiery Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, and a big part of breathing life back into it would be for both teams to have long-term stars battling each other. Boston just traded away its biggest star. Maybe this helps the Red Sox in the long run, but now the Bleacher Creatures don't have to have flashbacks of Cole wagging four fingers to walk Devers, the way he did last year. And assuming he stays with the Giants, Devers won't play at Yankee Stadium again until 2027.
Kirschner: The Yankees may have just been swept by the Red Sox and scored the fewest runs in a three-game series at Fenway Park since 1916, but it's hard not to feel like they're coming out of this weekend as winners with Devers gone.
Kuty: Sure, but Yankees fans also have to be careful what they wish for. Who was in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers when they beat the Yankees in the World Series last year? Oh, that's right: Mookie Betts, the last star the Red Sox traded.
(Photo of Rafael Devers admiring a home run against the Yankees in 2022: Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)