The Boston Red Sox traded three-time All-Star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants following a complete breakdown in their relationship, ending months of escalating conflict between the franchise and its highest-paid player. Devers was reportedly \"gobsmacked\" when manager Alex Cora informed him of the trade aboard the team\'s charter flight.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Devers felt \"lied to and betrayed\" by the Red Sox organization after being blindsided by the Alex Bregman signing and subsequent position changes. The tension began in spring training when Boston asked Devers to move from third base to designated hitter without prior consultation.
Manager Alex Cora, previously one of Devers\' strongest supporters, ultimately backed the trade decision. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, whom Devers publicly criticized during the dispute, orchestrated the deal that sent the final member of Boston\'s 2018 championship team to San Francisco.
Red Sox ownership initially sought to repair the relationship with Devers, who signed a 10-year, $313.5 million extension in January 2023. However, his refusal to play first base after Triston Casas\'s injury unified the organization against him.
The breaking point came when Devers publicly stated he would not move to first base. Owner John Henry and CEO Sam Kennedy flew to Kansas City to meet with Devers personally, but the talks failed to resolve the fundamental issues.
Boston received left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, reliever Jordan Hicks, and pitcher Jose Bello in return. The Giants absorbed the remaining $254 million on Devers\' contract.
\"Sometimes it\'s not the message. It\'s how the message is delivered,\" said a person close to Devers, highlighting the communication failures that led to the trade.
The deal marks another controversial star departure for Boston, following similar exits by Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and other franchise cornerstones in recent years.
\"Boston absolutely botched this entire Devers situation,\" one rival official said, \"and somehow it all resulted in them getting to dump what was both an underwater contract and a distraction while also getting a bunch of value back in return.
\"It was like, \'Oops, we overpaid for a decade of our bat-only star, pissed him off publicly, then continued to bungle every subsequent opportunity to get things right. Why don\'t you give us a controllable midrotation starter and your first-round pick from last year and help us get out of it?\'\"
At the same time, a rival general manager said, \"These are the Boston f---ing Red Sox. You don\'t trade your stars.\"
Via Jeff Passan/ESPN