The Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants before the deadline, ending one of the messiest organizational breakups in recent memory.
The situation deteriorated over months, with Devers feeling misled by team leadership.
“Devers, according to a person familiar with his thinking, felt ‘lied to and betrayed’ by the Red Sox. Cora, long one of Devers’ chief supporters and advocates, supported his expulsion. Craig Breslow, the Red Sox’s chief baseball officer whom Devers publicly badmouthed amid the hostility, played hatchet man,” MLB’s Jeff Passan wrote.
What makes this whole thing more jarring is the timing.
The return package looks solid on paper – Jordan Hicks brings late-inning experience, Kyle Harrison is a promising left-handed starter, and the prospects add depth. But you’re still talking about trading a franchise cornerstone.
David Ortiz weighed in on the situation during a recent ITM Podcast appearance, and his perspective matters here. Big Papi knows what it takes to be the face of the Red Sox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hjCOo6OKqI
“Well, to be honest with you, you don’t want to let go of a batter like him, of course. I mean, Raffy is a beast when it comes down to a player that you want in your lineup, you know? And I love Raffy. Like, my thing with the situation is that I would expect a guy like Raffy to be one of the faces of this organization for many reasons. Raffy is a good kid. Don’t get that caught up in the confusion, you know. And that’s what bothers me most out of the whole thing. We’re dealing with a good kid.”
Ortiz told Joey Copponi and Scott Neville on the “ITM Podcast” on Friday.
That’s the thing that makes this situation so complicated. Devers has the talent to anchor a lineup for years. The 28-year-old third baseman was supposed to be part of Boston’s long-term foundation after that 2018 championship run.
But Ortiz also understands the other side of it. A franchise player needs to be willing to do what’s best for the team, and Devers’ reluctance to switch positions became a sticking point.
From where I’m sitting, that positional flexibility issue was probably the final straw. If Devers had been open to moving to first base or taking on more DH duties, maybe this whole mess gets resolved differently. His hesitation to adapt likely made the front office’s decision much easier.
The Red Sox were on a roll when they pulled the trigger – seven wins in eight games, momentum building. That tells you how broken things had become behind the scenes.
Now San Francisco gets a proven run producer who’s posted 25+ home runs in five of the last six full seasons. The Giants needed that kind of middle-of-the-order presence, and they were willing to give up significant talent to get it.
For Boston, they’re betting that Harrison develops into a front-line starter and that the supporting pieces provide enough value to justify moving on from their best hitter. It’s a calculated risk, but one that became necessary once the relationship soured.
The way Ortiz sees it, both sides probably could’ve handled things better. Devers is still a “good kid” who got caught up in organizational politics and expectations. But at some point, talent alone isn’t enough if everything else isn’t working.
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