MLB insider Jeff Passan has opened up on why the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.
Devers is in the second year of his 10-year, $313.5 million deal with the Red Sox and was the face of the franchise. Yet, he and the front office hadn’t been seeing eye-to-eye. Along with that, Passan says this trade was about Boston getting out of his contract.
“It’s very simple. Rafael Devers, after all that happened with Boston this spring, the move from third base to DH, then them wanting him to play first base,” Passan said on Sunday Night Baseball. “(He) did not want to be in Boston anymore. The Red Sox saw this as an opportunity to get rid of more than $250 million that he was owed, and the San Francisco Giants are taking on every single penny of his remaining contract that runs through 2033.
“At the same time, the Red Sox in Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks gets a couple of arms, they are also getting James Tibbs, the first round pick from the San Francisco Giants last year, 13th overall from Florida State, as well as one more prospect,” Passan added. “Regardless of the mechanics of this deal, it is a shocker. The timing is shocking, the magnitude of the player is shocking. Rafael Devers was supposed to be the guy Boston was building around.”
Passan believes the Red Sox felt like they had to move on from Devers. San Francisco is also taking on his entire salary, which was a key part of the return.
Devers is hitting .272 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs with the Red Sox this season. He’s a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Insider: Red Sox Had Enough of Devers
Although Passan claims the deal was about Devers’ contract, another insider says the front office had had enough of the slugger.
Red Sox insider Peter Abraham reported on BlueSky that the Red Sox had had enough of Devers and traded him. They also felt like he wasn’t living up to the responsibilities of his contract.
“Per Red Sox sources: the team’s feeling was that a $313.5M contract comes with responsibilities to do what is right for the team and that Devers did not live up to those responsibilities. They had enough and they traded him,” Abraham wrote.
Devers is a three-time MLB All-Star and helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018.
Red Sox Front Office Met With Devers
Devers and Boston weren’t seeing eye-to-eye this season.
After the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, it was announced that Devers would shift to DH, which he did reluctantly. Then, when Triston Casas went down with an injury, Boston wanted Devers to play first base, but he said no.
After Devers said no, Red Sox principal owner John Henry, president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow all met with Devers in Kansas City on May 9.
“It was actually John who spoke directly to Raffy and felt like it was important based on the situation that unfolded yesterday to come out here and have an honest conversation about what we value as an organization, what we believe is important to the Boston Red Sox,” Breslow said. “And that is being great teammates for each other. We think we had a productive conversation. John seems to have had a productive conversation, and that’s where it is at right now.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora felt like the meeting was productive wiht Devers.
“It was a good conversation,” Cora said. “[Devers] expressed his feelings. John did the same. I think everybody saw who was here, so I think that carries weight in the clubhouse.”
However, it turns out it wasn’t as Boston ended up trading Devers to the Giants.
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