Red Sox trade Rafael Devers: How team has fared when trading superstars like Mookie Betts, Chris Sale
The Boston Red Sox did the unthinkable Sunday night. After a terse back-and-forth with their superstar player, the Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. It was a shocking move considering Devers' ability and long-term contract.
But maybe MLB fans should have seen it coming all along. The Red Sox haven't been shy about trading away elite talent in recent seasons. Since 2020, the team has sent Mookie Betts, Chris Sale and Devers packing in separate deals.
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It hasn't worked out for them. Years removed from trading Betts and Sale, here's how the Red Sox's return in each of those deals has performed.
Red Sox Mookie Betts trade revisited
The Betts deal was seemingly the moment everything changed for the Red Sox. Betts, a homegrown superstar, was set to be a free agent following the 2020 MLB season, and his long-term future with the Red Sox was looking murky. With the team worried about payroll, Betts and pitcher David Price were shipped out in exchange for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs.
Of that bunch, Verdugo was considered the highest-upside prospect. He entered 2019 as a consensus top-40 prospect, with Baseball Prospectus ranking him in their top-20. He was the most impactful player in the Betts return, hitting .281/.338/.424 over 2,071 plate appearances with the Red Sox from 2020 to 2023. The team let him walk after the 2023 season.
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Wong remains with the club, and has carved out a role as a defense-first catcher. He's hit .249/.307/.387 in five years with the Red Sox. Downs received just 41 plate appearances with the Red Sox, hitting .154 in 2022. He was designated for assignment by the team after the season and hasn't appeared in the majors since 2023.
After going to the Dodgers, Betts signed a massive 12-year, $365 million contract. He's hit .282/.370/.518 in his six seasons with the team. He's finished in the top-5 of MVP voting three times and has helped lead the team to two World Series championships.
Chris Sale's tenure in Boston was looking shaky when the team traded him away. (Photo by)
(Scott Taetsch via Getty Images)
Red Sox Chris Sale trade revisited
After two promising seasons to kick off his Red Sox career, Sale experienced injuries and decline over his final five seasons in Boston. With Sale coming off yet another injury-riddled season, the Red Sox shipped him to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Vaughn Grissom in 2023. Boston also sent $17 million to Atlanta to cover a portion of Sale's salary.
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Despite never ranking as a top-100 prospect, Grissom impressed in limited time in the majors in 2022, hitting .291/.353/.440 in 41 games as a 21-year-old. After Dansby Swanson left the Braves in free agency, Grissom had a shot to be the team's starting shortstop in 2023. He lost out on that position battle, and hit .280/.313/.347 in just 80 plate appearances.
Boston still likely his potential, making him the only significant player acquired for Sale. Grissom — a bat-first player — has played in just 31 games in the majors since the trade. He's hit .190/.246/.219, and has spent the entire 2025 season in the minors.
Sale quickly signed an extension with the Braves and reverted to form, once again emerging as one of the best pitchers in the majors. He posted a 2.38 ERA over 177 2/3 innings in 2024, earning his first Cy Young award. Sale is off to a strong start in 2025 as well, and has a 2.79 ERA over 80 2/3 innings.
Red Sox Rafael Devers trade, explained
It's way too early to fully evaluate the Devers trade, but the Red Sox's return for him feels light. Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison are capable major-league players, but unlikely to be superstars. At 28, Hicks may already be a finished product. His conversion to starting hasn't led to major success, and he might be better off going back to the bullpen, where he showed plenty of promise in 2023.
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Harrison is just 23 and has top-100 prospect upside. He also has a 4.48 ERA over 182 2/3 innings over three partial seasons in the majors. The Red Sox will see if they can unlock another level to Harrison's game now that he's in their system. The team has found ways to maximize pitchers in recent seasons, so it's possible Harrison takes a step forward now that he's in Boston.
The two prospects in the deal — James Tibbs and Jose Bello — aren't top-100 prospects at this time. Both are still young and potentially far off from the majors. Tibbs, 22, is hitting .246/.379/.478 at High-A. He was the Giants' first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and has potential. Bello, 20, is in rookie ball. He's played well this season, with a 2.00 ERA over 18 innings, but remains far from the majors.
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Despite all the drama over his position, Devers is off to the best offensive start of his career. He has a .272/.401/.504 slash line, good for a career-high 152 OPS+. There are certainly questions about Devers' future and position, but he's among the best pure hitters in baseball right now.
Assuming Devers can maintain a similar level of hitting for a few more years before decline sets in, the Red Sox will need to hit on their return to make the deal look close to even. It's a small sample, but that hasn't been a strong suit of the franchise in previous deals where it shipped out elite talent.
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