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Ever since the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, it has no doubt sent shockwaves throughout the baseball world, as it seemed no one saw it coming. With the topic now being about the Red Sox and Devers' relationship, there are people around the league who have criticized how the franchise handled their star player.
In the latest ESPN article by insider Jeff Passan, there are quotes from “rival” officials around the MLB, where some of the consensus seems to be how Boston “botched” the situation with Devers.
“Boston absolutely botched this entire Devers situation,” a rival official said, per ESPN. “And somehow it all resulted in them getting to dump what was both an underwater contract and a distraction while also getting a bunch of value back in return.”
“It was like, ‘Oops, we overpaid for a decade of our bat-only star, pissed him off publicly, then continued to bungle every subsequent opportunity to get things right. Why don't you give us a controllable mid-rotation starter and your first-round pick from last year and help us get out of it?'”
The relationship between Red Sox and Rafael Devers was up-and-down
While the direction of the Red Sox seems to be muddled, trading away a star player who was owed for a decade on his latest contract is an event that has a lot of people scratching their heads. In Passan's report, a rival general manager would have a clear and to-the-point NSFW statement about the situation.
“These are the Boston f—ing Red Sox. You don't trade your stars,” the general manager said.
The breakdown of the relationship didn't seem to happen overnight, as it goes back to spring training, where the Red Sox wanted Devers to play solely designated hitter, instead of playing in the infield. Passan would write that this made Devers “livid.”
“When Devers showed up at spring training, the team broached the idea of him shifting to designated hitter,” Passan wrote. “Their computer model said the best version of the 2025 Red Sox would feature reigning Minor League Player of the Year Kristian Campbell at second base, Bregman at third, and Devers at DH. Devers was livid. A player's position is part of his identity. He was a third baseman. Beyond that, though, was a breach in the trust implicit in a contract of Devers' magnitude.”
At any rate, Boston currently has a 39-37 record, which puts them fourth in the AL East, only ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. The team starts a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
