Red Sox Trading Rafael Devers Makes Sense But I Still Hate It

Following a thrilling sweep of the New York Yankees, phones throughout New England erupted with an alert that felt like someone had created a farcical draft and accidentally hit 'send'.

That alert was that the Boston Red Sox, riding the best wave of momentum in 2025 season, had traded away their signature star. Rafael Devers was being shipped to San Francisco for a collection of players that wasn't inspiring nor recognizable.

Why would the Red Sox do this? Well, there's plenty of reasons and I don't really like any of them.

The Red Sox Fractured Relationship With Rafael Devers Seemed Irreversible

There have been two press conferences this season in which Rafael Devers had a lot to say and none of it made the Red Sox front office look good.

The first press conference was Devers being defiant, proclaiming that he's a third basemen and that's where he intended to play no matter what the Red Sox leadership asked of him. It was an odd look for the normally quiet Devers but as a fan, I could understand his frustration.

Following a Triston Casas season-ending injury, the Red Sox asked Devers to consider playing first base. That led to a second press conference that was even uglier.

Devers took personal shots at Baseball Operations Head Craig Breslow as he made it clear that he had no intention of playing first base for the team. That presser divided fans, including myself. I would have preferred Devers to take the high road.

Saying something like "I want to help this team in every way I can. I'm not familiar with first base but I'll try to take grounders and we'll go from there". It would have gone a long way.

That Second Rafael Devers Press Conference Was the Beginning of the End

Rumors swirled that many of Devers teammates were dismayed by his lack of interest in trying a new position to help the team after that second press conference. Whether those rumors were true or not doesn't matter, it's the fact that drama kept following the Red Sox around.

Many influential Red Sox fans seemed to be leaning on the side of Devers, believing that management had treated him poorly. Sure, the pressers were weird, but maybe that emotion Devers showed was a good thing.

Ownership clearly didn't agree. If the Red Sox paid more than $300 million to Devers to be a leader on and off the field, the relationship essentially ended after that second, emotionally-charged presser.

The Reasons For Trading Rafael Devers Make Sense

Objectively, trading one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball right now is idiotic. It's hard to find hitters that can consistently do what Rafael Devers does with the bat. But it's clear the Red Sox assessment of Devers became negative in totality.

He wasn't being a leader. He can't or won't play a position. The bat is excellent but the attitude is poor. $30 million per year is too much for a designated hitter. He didn't hustle out a grounder as recently as last week.

All of that makes sense. If that's how owner John Henry or Baseball Ops leader Craig Breslow felt, you can understand it. But unlike the Mookie Betts trade that was centered around a contract extension, the Devers trade feels strictly personal. And bad things usually follow when things get personal.

Where the Red Sox Go From Here Without Rafael Devers

The Devers trade is another gut punch to fans who just want to win again. Trading away one of the 10 best hitters in baseball for essentially spare parts doesn't leave any Red Sox fan feeling great.

Not only that, there will be additional pressure on top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer to play everyday and perform. Third baseman Alex Bregman should be back soon and it's officially his team now, even if he might opt to become a free agent at season's end.

The one positive spin is that the Red Sox have both piles of money and prospects at their disposal. Just like with Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox have a prospect pool where they could trade for just about anyone. They'll have the money to take on a contract or sign a player like Kyle Tucker if they believe he's the missing piece.

But for the right here, right now, trading Rafael Devers sucks. The biggest losers in all of this remains the fans.