MLB Insider Gives Red Sox ‘A+’ For Stunning Rafael Devers Trade
Even though the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants over a week ago, it is still arguably the biggest storyline surrounding the team, and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.
The decision to trade away Devers has been quite a controversial one. On one hand, the Red Sox got out of a massive contract that they didn’t feel was valuable anymore, but they traded away their best player, and got what many fans feel is a mediocre return in terms of players in exchange for the star slugger.
Time will tell whether or not Boston won this trade, but San Francisco got the first laugh over the weekend. That’s because Devers helped the Giants win their three-game series against the Sox, with their new star smacking his first home run for his new club against his old one.
The optics of the Devers trade may not look great now, but several folks believe that the Red Sox did well in this deal. In fact, MLB insider Jon Heyman went as far to give Boston an “A+” for not only getting rid of Devers contract, but also acquiring a couple of prospects who could pan out for them down the line.
“I think they did the right thing,” Heyman said of the Devers trade on “MLB Now.” “We’re talking about a designated hitter who was a malcontent … He’s an unhappy guy, not doing his best, he is only a DH for them, we know that, and $30 million a year … I think they did great. If you’re just talking about the trade, and that’s all, I’d give them an A+.”
When Boston handed Devers his 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension in 2023, the expectation was that he would be playing in the field, rather than just being a designated hitter. That’s a big reason why his refusal to play in the field amid Alex Bregman and Triston Casas’ injuries was such an issue for the team.
Getting out of paying Devers $30 million per year just to play designated hitter makes sense. And then when you consider the fact that Kyle Harrison and James Tibbs III both have quite a bit of upside, you begin to understand why they pulled the trigger on this trade.
There’s no doubt losing Devers hurts, but Boston is better set to succeed in the long-term now that they have gotten out of this deal. Add in the player return, and Heyman is a big fan of this trade for the Red Sox.