MLB exec maps out why Red Sox ‘did well’ by trading Rafael Devers to the Giants
"Far more important than the player return is the fact that they were able to move Devers and all of his money."
Many Red Sox fans are unhappy with the team’s decision to trade away another franchise fixture in Rafael Devers.
Beyond the pain of seeing another homegrown superstar talent leave town on bad terms, the Red Sox’s return for one of the top sluggers in baseball further soured the sentiment over Sunday’s shocking deal.
But as Boston fans bemoan Devers’ exit from Boston, several executives across baseball are not echoing the same sentiment.
MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand spoke to several executives to gauge their verdict on the Devers’ trade — with one National League decision-maker sharing that the Red Sox “did well” by moving on from Devers.
“They definitely got some good players with upside, so when you combine those guys with whatever they get with the repurposed Devers money, I think the Red Sox did well,” the NL executive told Feinsand.
“But far more important than the player return is the fact that they were able to move Devers and all of his money. They just signed him, so to have changed their mind on that kind of commitment so quickly really means that they felt they had to move him, which is a really difficult spot to be in. They moved quickly, kept it quiet, and pulled it off.”
While the NL executive pointed to getting Devers’ contract off the books as a top priority moving forward, an AL exec offered a more lukewarm take — even though they added that they were surprised Boston actually got assets along with getting Devers’ contract off the books.
“It’s a pretty good return considering that Boston didn’t have many options,” an AL executive told Feinsand. “I think there was a path to get him to first base — maybe in 2026 — but that would have required some serious diplomacy on [chief baseball officer Craig] Breslow’s part.
“And in the meantime, they had nowhere to go with [DH Masataka] Yoshida. I was surprised they got real talent back while moving all of that money.”
It remains to be seen just how much value Boston will unearth out of new players Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, as well as prospects James Tibbs and Jose Bello.
But if the Red Sox can utilize that $254 million freed up by moving Devers’ contract, it could ease some of the pain felt by Boston’s fans over dealing away Devers.
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