When the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants last June, it sent shockwaves through MLB. When Boston signed Alex Bregman in free agency ahead of spring training, it began a downward strain in the relationship between Devers and the Red Sox.
It was so damaged beyond repair that chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, traded Devers to the Bay Area right before Boston got on a plane for a West Coast trip. It just so happened that the second stop on the trip was against the Giants.
The return wasn’t quite what Red Sox fans hoped for and seemed underwhelming. Boston received right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, and a pair of prospects in outfielder James Tibbs III (Giants No. 4 prospect at the time of the deal) and right-handed pitcher Jose Bello. Now, eight months later, all that is left is Bello.
Boston Red Sox Trade Third Piece of Rafael Devers Deal to Milwaukee Brewers
This trade is turning into one big disaster for Breslow and the Red Sox. There is one player left after Boston traded Harrison to the Brewers on Monday as part of a deal that acquired infielder Caleb Durbin. Also going from Boston to Milwaukee were David Hamilton and Shane Drohan. Going from Milwaukee to Boston with Durbin is infielder Andruw Monasterio, utility man Anthony Seigler, and a competitive balance round B draft pick (67th overall).
Hamilton and Harrison are the two biggest names going from Boston to Milwaukee. It also signals the third player from the Devers trade that Breslow has traded. At the trade deadline last July, he traded Tibbs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade that brought Dusty May to Boston. May is no longer with Boston. Hicks was traded on February 1. Harrison was traded on Monday. That leaves just Bello.
As far as Bello goes, he has never pitched beyond single-A, which right now is less than ideal news. Usually, when you trade a player like Devers, you get a return that will help for years. Not Breslow.
Red Sox Botched Rafael Devers Trade
This is a clear swing and miss for Breslow. Trading away a franchise icon for the return he got is one thing. To compound matters, the reason they traded Devers was to play Bregman at third base. Eight months after the trade, Bregman is getting ready for spring training with the Chicago Cubs after signing in free agency.
As for Boston, they are still looking for Devers and Bregman’s replacements. They were rumored to have interest in Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes. Nothing got done. They instead pivoted to Durbin. The Bewers acquired Durbin from the New York Yankees two years ago in a trade for relief pitcher Devin Williams.
At the time of Devers’ trade, the front office defended it. They still do to this day. However, three of the four players who were acquired have now been traded, and the one player left has yet to make it past single-A. To add insult to injury, Bregman is now with the Cubs. Trading Rafael Devers and having nothing to show for it eight months later is stunning for a team like the Red Sox.
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