My Thoughts on The Rafael Devers Trade
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
Early in the afternoon, Boston Red Sox's star DH Rafael Devers hit a solo homer against the Yankees at Fenway Park to help complete a three-game sweep. This homer improved his slash line to .272/.401/.504 and a .905 OPS, which is the 11th best in the MLB. However, his performance has been overshadowed by his unwillingness to play 1st base after their starting first baseman, Triston Casas, suffered a season-ending injury. His unwillingness to move off DH can be attributed to the signing of Alex Bregman to play third base, pushing him off third base as a result. Whether his unwillingness can be attributed to the lack of communication by the Red Sox or being personally selfish, the relationship between Devers and the Red Sox was beginning to falter.
As of 7:00 PM Eastern time tonight, Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Jordan Hicks (SP/RP), Kyle Harrison (SP), James Tibbs (#4 Prospect), and Jose Bello (Unranked), effectively ending the relationship between Devers and the Boston Red Sox. While the fallout between Devers and the Red Sox isn't surprising, it's the overall context of the trade that is. The Giants (41-30) are having a surprisingly good season and are going to significantly benefit from the bat of Rafael Devers wherever he plays. However, they're picking up all of his remaining $249 million salary in his contract that lasts until 2033. In addition, his role on the team long term is questionable; Matt Chapman is already the third baseman of the Giants and is under contract till 2030 and is arguably the best defensive third baseman in all of baseball. Their #1 Prospect Bryce Eldridge is a first baseman in Triple-A and is considered the #19 best prospect in all of baseball with a strong hit tool. It begs the question of what the vision is with the Giants in the long term because the only role he would be able to play in is DH and he'll be blocked from playing third and first. The bat will play, but the acquisition is questionable to say the least.
Now for the Red Sox, the return isn't outstanding mainly due to the trade being a salary dump and addition by subtraction in the long term. Jordan Hicks is one of the pitchers that headline the deal. He's currently in the second year of a 4-year, $44 million deal, and his results have been beyond pitiful on the surface. He's posted a 6.47 ERA in the rotation before being moved to the bullpen and eventually going on the injured list. However, his underlying results paint a different picture. He's posted a 3.86 xERA and 3.59 FIP, which show he's been extremely unlucky. Maybe a change in scenery and performing closer to his underlying stats will help him be a valuable pitcher with the Red Sox when he eventually returns from the injured list.
The second pitcher in the deal was lefty Kyle Harrison, who was the #23 ranked prospect in all of baseball in 2024 but hasn't performed in the majors. In 2024, he posted a 4.56 ERA along with similar underlying results that show his performance was reasonable. In 2025, his results have been more or less the same, literally; he's posted an identical 4.56 ERA in eight appearances, with 4 coming in the rotation and 4 in the bullpen. His xFIP of 3.75 suggests he's been possibly unlucky this season. However, he will be sent to the minors according to sources and will still have five years of team control.
The two prospects in the deal, James Tibbs and Jose Bello, will be able to provide an impact in the future despite the obvious uncertainty of prospects. Tibbs was the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft and has a high ceiling as an outfielder. Jose Bello is a 20-year-old reliever in rookie ball, and his ceiling is unknown.
Trades where a star player gets traded in the middle of a big contract aren't common, and this is one of the few times a trade of this magnitude has come about. The Giants signed up for 9 years of a player with no direct long-term role other than DH and are acquiring a volatile personality that they can't be certain will not cause more drama. With the Red Sox, they're getting rid of a franchise cornerstone, and the future of the franchise and overall commitment to winning need to be questioned. Their past trades of Mookie Betts and Chris Sale have produced no solid MLB talent, and it's uncertain if the pieces the Red Sox got will be beneficial to their team now and in the future.
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Very insightful, you have a bright future kid!
Great analysis
A very questionable move for both teams