The San Francisco Giants stunned the baseball world on Sunday, June 15, by acquiring Rafael Devers as part of a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox, in return, receive pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks, and prospects James Tibbs and Jose Bello. Harrison (1-1, 4.56 ERA), a former Giants top prospect, is the best player going to Boston. The Red Sox also freed up the remainder of Deevers’ 10-year, $313.5 million contract.
The Giants will pay the entirety of Devers’ deal, USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale reported, with the slugger still owed more than $250 million. The Red Sox will pay the rest of Hicks’ four-year, $44 million contract, with 2½ years remaining.
Devers became an All-Star for the third time last season and was previously an All-Star in both 2021 and 2022. Devers made his debut in 2017 and won the World Series in 2018 to conclude his first full season with the Red Sox. He was named to the All-MLB second team in 2021 and was named a Silver Slugger award winner in 2021 and 2023.
The Giants will host the Red Sox for a 3-game series that starts on Friday, June 20, at Oracle Park.
Until then, fans and pundits alike will be buzzing with their takes. Scroll below to see how the baseball world reacted to Devers’ trade after it was announced:
MLB world reacts to Rafael Devers trade
Giants shortstop Willy Adames was mic’d up during Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and talked about the trade for Devers with ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team.
Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was also interview during the broadcast of Sunday night’s game with the Dodgers, exclaiming: ‘How about that trade? That’s wild!’
Sports writer, critic and podcaster Bill Simmons, a Massachusetts native, also had strong thoughts, while another called it an ‘organizational failure.’
Devers hit a home run in the Red Sox’s 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on Sunday and then spoke with reporters in Boston after the game (and before the trade) about adapting to his role and the distractions from earlier in the season.
While Devers addressed the situation publicly regarding the distractions about his role with Boston this season, ESPN’s Jeff Passan explained that some of those distractions had still lingered on behind the scenes.