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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Baseball fans received what they described as a punch to the gut on Sunday after discovering the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.
"They just signed him and then traded him. I don’t know what's going on," says one disappointed Bostonian.
Considered one of the best hitters in the league, Devers’ shocking trade came after their fifth straight win and a sweep of the New York Yankees, marking their seventh victory in the last eight games.
"You know, we're turning it around, we're playing good ball. And then, see you later," remarked one Red Sox fan.
While confusion remains on what prompted the trade, some blame ongoing fielding debates. At Spring Training, the third baseman was asked to transition to only designated hitter. After refusing at first, Devers eventually made the move. Then when Tristan Casas suffered a season ending injury, Devers was asked about playing first base and declined. Devers' old position then opened up when Alex Bregman suffered a significant injury in May, and Devers once again remained at DH.
"You know, he had a little bit of an attitude with it," says one fan. "Who knows behind the scenes what's going on."
Others speculate that the motivation behind the trade stemmed from the 10-year $313.3 million deal he signed in 2023.
"They just wanted to get out of the contract," says another Bostonian. "That's the John Henry way."
The surprising move comes less than a week before the Red Sox play a three-game series in San Francisco starting on Friday and over a month before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.
Devers was the last remaining player from the 2018 World Series championship team.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chris Fama (CFamaWBZ) reports.