Red Sox must make the playoffs. It's the only way to justify trading Rafael Devers
BOSTON — There's really no way of getting around this: The Boston Red Sox need to make the playoffs in 2025. That's the only way they can justify trading Rafael Devers, their franchise player, to the San Francisco Giants.
Otherwise, it's just Mookie Betts all over again. In 2020, the Sox sent Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers because the future Hall of Famer's contract would be up in a year, and the Sox didn't want to pay. Now the Sox have been presented with a chance to stop paying Devers, as in the more than $250 million remaining on his contract, so he's off to the Giants.
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Sure, there's a big difference between Betts and Devers, such as Betts being willing to do anything to help his team. With Devers, not so much. But we'll get to that in a moment. First, there's the matter of the 2025 Red Sox, who on Sunday had their best hitter shipped off to San Francisco.
Talk about bad timing. About an hour before Sunday's stunning trade was announced, the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees with a 2-0 victory at festive, Father's Day Fenway. It was Boston's fifth straight victory and its eighth in 10 games. Let the record show that Devers socked a home run, his 15th of the season. When the game was over, the Sox staged their weekly 'Kids Run the Bases' promotion. Fenway was just about as happy as it's been all season.
Rafael Devers sneaks one over the monster 😳 pic.twitter.com/NdYKAUk44D
— MLB (@MLB) June 15, 2025
We can agree that these are not the David Ortiz/Manny Ramirez-era Red Sox. It's been a while since the Red Sox entered a season with swagger and bravado, and they were not the smart pick to win the World Series this time around. But suddenly they were looking good enough to make the playoffs, and Devers was the best hitter on a team in need of daily tweaks and gimmicks. Sox manager Alex Cora has been using musical-chair lineups for most of the season. He's had players lost to injuries and rookies playing out of position.
Yet here they are, a game above .500 (37-36) and just 6 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the American League East, albeit in fourth place. And they're a half-game out in the wild-card standings.
The Red Sox haven't made the playoffs since 2021. And now, just as they're beginning to play exciting, winning baseball, they turn around and trade Devers for lefty star Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks and a couple of prospects. And let's say it again, and again and again: The Red Sox are off the hook for the approximately $250 million that's left on Devers' contract, which runs through 2033. If it'll make you feel better, the Red Sox might look pretty good several years from now as Devers ages and his bat speed slows up.
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Yes, Devers had made things tough for the Red Sox this season. During spring training, he balked at giving up his job at third base to become the team's designated hitter, this after the Sox signed veteran Alex Bregman. Devers eventually agreed to be the DH but then played a game of punitive gotcha with management by refusing to grab a glove and give first base a try after Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon and was lost for the season.
To make matters worse, Bregman went on the injured list on May 23 with a right quad strain. The Red Sox are in all-hands-on-deck mode these days, including the use of Marcelo Mayer, a rookie with only a few weeks in the big leagues, learning to play third base on the fly.
While it's doubtful Devers would have returned to third base after being ungraciously removed from the position, he could have helped at first. Or at least tried to. But nope. Devers pouted about being the DH and then turned his back on playing first base.
Devers came out looking bad in both cases, even if there's plenty of blame to be directed at management for the clumsy, ham-handed manner in which they handled things. They were classic examples of a player putting himself ahead of the team, and fans hate that. But you know what fans love? They love winning.
The Red Sox were starting to win again. But what they need to do is win now. That was the sell this year from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and CEO Sam Kennedy.
Maybe a combination of Mayer and fellow rookie Roman Anthony could deliver big offensive numbers. Maybe Bregman picks up where he left off before he was injured. Trevor Story is starting to hit again. Maybe he keeps hitting.
We'll see. As of right now, the Red Sox ain't what they were 24 hours ago.
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