The Red Sox Better Not Make An Already Bad Rafael Devers Move Worse By Not Spending the Money They Saved When they Traded Him

Point - Craig Breslow did some good things this season (and last offseason) to help get the Red Sox back to the playoffs. 

Counterpoint - The Trade of Rafael Devers was not one of those good moves. 

I feel like just because the team made the playoffs, there is this lingering narrative that this was a good trade - it wasn't. 

In fact, I'm giving you permission to quote this blog as your own if you get some Sox fan trying to spin the trade as a good thing for the team this offseason. I'd actually prefer you print it out and shove it in their face, making them eat it, but texting or emailing it to them is an acceptable alternative. 

And the Red Sox can actually make the trade worse by not putting the money they saved by trading the slugger to the Giants right back into the roster this offseason. 

First, the impact on this year's team was not awesome. After Devers was traded to San Francisco, he hit 20 home runs. The Red Sox offense - in almost 100 games after the trade of Devers - got 10 home runs of production out of the designated hitter position. 

Once you got to the playoffs, the offense scuffled against the Yankees. How about this - Sox No. 5 hitters went 0-3, 0-3, 0-4 in the series, good for a disgusting 0-10 against New York. 

Devers had a career .533 slugging % against the Yankees and a career postseason OPS of .955. He would have had a massive impact on any Red Sox playoff run. 

Boston Globe. Getty Images.

How about the guys that Breslow acquired for Devers? 

Reliever Jordan Hicks - 8.20 ERA, -1.1 WAR

Starter Kyle Harrison - Three big league starts, 12 innings. .3 WAR. Zero pitches in the playoffs. 

OF James Tibbs - Traded for Dustin May 

Starter Dustin May (sure, let's include him) - Six appearances, 5.40 ERA. -0.3 WAR. Injured. Zero pitches in the playoffs. 

Starter Jose Bello - Ranked #54 on SoxProspects.com. 

It's also worth noting that a large number of Sox fans (a majority?) would have said Devers was their favorite player on the team before the trade. 

WOOOOOOOOF. 

"This window of contention is upon us." 

I agree. And that means you have to spend this offseason. 

Devers was in just the second year of a 10-year contract worth over $313 million. The only silver lining to the trade at this point is the fact that you got the Giants to take all of that contract. But that means you have to spend that money on this year's team. I'm firmly on record as someone who would start by ensuring Alex Bregman is here. 

Advertisement

But names like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, Framber Valez, Josh Naylor, and Luis Arraez should all be in play. 

The Red Sox ownership and front office have promised the fans they would spend in the past, but then punted it off until next season. Coming off their first playoff appearance in years, that should be unacceptable this offseason. 

The trade of Rafael Devers was not good. Deciding not to spend the money you saved by moving him would make it even worse.