Headliner in Rafael Devers trade gets sent down to Triple-A

Headliner in Rafael Devers trade gets sent down to Triple-A

In case you may have been living under a rock, the Boston Red Sox pulled off a stunning blockbuster trade to send Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a five-player trade, headlined by starters Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks.

The Giants needed a big bat, and they got one of the best hitters in MLB. Boston received a pair of arms who carry some upside, though Harrison, 23, will be optioned to Triple-A Worcester upon the news of the trade, according to BoSox Injection’s Hunter Noll.

Sigh.

Per source:

Red Sox are optioning newly acquired pitcher Kyle Harrison to Triple-A.

That will go over well.

— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) June 16, 2025

To Noll’s point, yeah, this is expected to go over very well–even if there is logic rooted in the decision.

Harrison’s been painfully average this season, sporting a 4.56 ERA with a 4.58 FIP across 23.2 innings. He was expected to start Sunday night against the Dodgers before being scratched pre-trade.

While Harrison has legitimate upside, he has things to work on. He’s primarily a three-pitch pitcher (fastball, slurve, changeup), where his two non-four-seam fastballs are getting crushed this season. Hitters are slugging an .810 slugging percentage against his slurve and .687 off his changeup. He’s generating more whiffs than he did last year, but surrendering just as much hard contact as others with a limited arsenal. That must improve.

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

Harrison has 35 career starts under his belt. I’m sure the last thing Boston Red Sox fans want to hear is that the headliner is being immediately optioned upon arrival. You just traded away your face of the franchise for the second time in six years, which is incredibly difficult to stomach. There is immense pressure on Harrison and Hicks to pitch well, or else this deal will be even more of a laughingstock than it already is.

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