One of the most shocking baseball trades in recent memory happened earlier this year when, out of the blue, Rafael Devers was traded to the Giants. Now, Devers and the Red Sox had issues after Boston signed Alex Bregman to take over at third base, but moving the face of their franchise was still an unprecedented move.
The Red Sox Since the Trade
Despite trading their best hitter, the Red Sox have responded well to the trade. Since the trade, they are 29-20, and now sit in the second wild card spot. Offensively, the Sox have fared more than okay after moving their slugger, as they have the highest scoring offense in the American League.
The interesting part is that the players they acquired have had practically no impact on the MLB team. Veteran Jordan Hicks has posted a 6.23 ERA over 13 innings out of the bullpen. Meanwhile, Kyle Harrison and Jose Bello are still in the Red Sox minor league system, and James Tibbs III was moved in a deal that landed Dustin May.
Even though Boston hasn’t gotten any value at the big league level, this trade could pay dividends down the stretch. Kyle Harrison is knocking on the door of the MLB, and Dustin May pitched well over his first two starts for the Sox. Both pitchers could be critical pieces in improving Boston’s pitching staff.
The Giants Since the Trade
On the flip side of the trade, the Giants have completely fallen off. Since June 15th, San Francisco is 18-31. The team is currently riding a five game losing the streak after being swept by the Padres. They sit 5.5 games back of the last wild card position, and the reality is that the Giants are dead in the water.
Surpirisingly, Devers impact has been minimal at best. Offensively, he’s been okay with a .755 OPS and eight home runs, but he’s put up just 0.5 bWAR. The tranisiton to the pitcher friendly park is not boading well for the veteran slugger. Now, Devers can’t be the only one to blame as the Giants offense as a whole is second worst in the NL in terms of OPS. Still, this trade hasn’t moved the needle in the slightest.
Is this Nomar Garciaparra all Over Again?
The famous trade of the Red Sox ’04 championship team is a good one to compare this deal to. The bottom line is that like in the Nomar trade, the Red Sox moved Devers because they didn’t view him in their future plans. Neither of these deals landed the Sox elite MLB ready stars, but instead they were more about adjusting the core of the team.
Don’t get me wrong, Kyle Harrison and Dustin May can be impact pieces for Boston like Orlando Cabrera was over two decades ago. But don’t get it twisted, this deal was about the Red Sox not wanting to bank their future on Rafael Devers. Time will only tell whether that turns out to be the correct choice, but so far it looks pretty dang good for the Sox.
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