Report: Red Sox did not shop Rafael Devers before trade to Giants

Report: Red Sox did not shop Rafael Devers before trade to Giants

One moment, the emotions are high. The Boston Red Sox just swept the New York Yankees for their first five-game win streak of the season. They are over .500 for the first time since May 24 and are 0.5 game out of the third Wild Card spot in the American League.

The next, emotions are as low as the Earth’s crust, as Boston unexpectedly traded away superstar slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a five-player traded spearheaded by arms Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks.

Devers, 28, is one of the best designated hitters in the sport, while both Hicks and Harrison–a touted 23-year-old arm–have struggled to begin 2025. The package is very underwhelming, even though San Francisco is taking all of Devers’ remaining $254 million.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported on Sunday Night Baseball–ironically including the San Francisco Giants, where Harrison was supposed to start before getting yanked less than 30 minutes before the game)–that the Red Sox didn’t shop Devers.

The Red Sox did not shop Devers, @Buster_ESPN just reported, citing a conversation with another team’s executive.

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) June 16, 2025

According to MassLive’s Sean McAdam, multiple teams–including the Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres, who reportedly had interest in outfielder Jarren Duran–checked in on Devers. But the Giants ultimately were the most motivated to hit a grand slam roughly one-and-a-half months until the trade deadline.

The Braves, Padres, and Blue Jays inquired about Rafael Devers' availability, but weren't as motivated as the Giants.

(Via: @Sean_McAdam) pic.twitter.com/b6J3ZexicX

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 16, 2025

If Olney’s report is true, it’s malpractice not to shop Devers if there were plans on trading him. It’s not apples-to-apples, but there are some similarities to Nico Harrison trading away Luka Doncic. Exploring what you can get on the open market for arguably a top-10 hitter is beyond insane.

Plus, the Boston Red Sox never had to do this deal. No matter how urgent the Giants were, no deal needed to be made for Devers, who’s having the best offensive season of his career, on June 15 amid the team’s hottest stretch of the season after sweeping the team’s arch nemesis. He has nearly a decade left on his contract (with deferred money through 2043) and is the best player on a playoff contender.

Devers was slashing .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs through 72 games. Sports is a business–how do you sell trading Devers in a career season to your fanbase less than six years after the Red Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers for another underwhelming package? Not to mention the potential ripple effects of Alex Bregman‘s contract and the immense pressure on Andrew Bailey to develop Harrison (who he worked with in 2022) and Hicks.

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