The Red Sox find themselves in a bind after Triston Casas’ season-ending knee injury. Rafael Devers has flatly refused to play first base, creating tension within the organization.
When Craig Breslow, Boston’s chief baseball officer, approached Devers about moving to first, the star third baseman’s response made waves. He publicly called out the front office, and his comments didn’t sit well with teammates. This has fueled trade speculation, and while it’s a longshot, AthlonSports’ Ryan White even suggested a potential trade to the Yankees.
“He was a part of Boston’s 2018 World Series run and remains to be an intricate piece for the team currently and moving forward,” White wrote. “However, there are teams that could be monitoring this situation with hopes to acquire the two-time Silver Slugger. One team particularly comes to mind, and that is the New York Yankees. They came into the season with third base being a concern, Devers would change that.”
The Yankees’ third base situation was already problematic with utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera manning the position. Now with Cabrera injured, it’s gotten even worse. Devers is playing on a massive 10-year, $313 million contract, limiting the number of teams that could realistically take on that financial commitment. The Yankees are one of the few clubs with both the resources and the need.
Trading Devers to the Yankees would surely be Boston’s absolute last resort. But the Yankees might be the only team willing to absorb his contract while offering a substantial return. They’d let him stay at third base, and could potentially include Paul Goldschmidt to play first base in the deal, along with prospects.
The Red Sox would likely demand Ben Rice in any package, and the Yankees might actually consider it given Devers’ talent and production. Adding Goldschmidt would give Boston a starting first baseman on an expiring contract, allowing them to compete now without disrupting their long-term plans for Casas.
It’s worth noting that Devers hasn’t been officially made available. But if the Red Sox fall out of contention or if he requests a trade, things could move quickly. If Boston ever considered sending him to the Yankees, the price would be steep. Not only is Devers valuable on his own, but the Yankees would need to overpay significantly to convince the Red Sox to strengthen a division rival.
