The Red Sox appear in danger of losing Rafael Devers as extension talks are far apart and these three MLB teams should take advantage and make a trade.
Since Chaim Bloom became Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox in December 2019, it’s been one punch to the gut for fans after another. Some may blame Bloom, some may blame team owner John Herny, but the fact of the matter is that two homegrown franchise cornerstones — Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts — are now set to finish their careers in California because Boston wouldn’t cut the check.
And now there is legitimate concern that the same thing could happen with Rafael Devers.
Much like with Bogaerts last offseason, it appears that the Red Sox and Devers are extremely far apart in extension talks. Though the team is trying to make it clear they want to keep the star 26-year-old third baseman, ESPN’s Joon Lee reported on Monday that the parties are “galaxies apart” on getting a deal done and the expectation in the Devers camp is that he’ll hit free agency.
On Rafael Devers, Chaim Bloom said the Red Sox are willing to go “beyond reason” to get a deal done but that there are “limitations”
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) December 19, 2022
Sources say the Red Sox and Devers are “galaxies apart”
Devers and his camp currently expect he will be a free agent https://t.co/RNDeKbRZzn
That’s disappointing for Boston fans considering that the still-young star has slashed .287/.355/.530 with 65 home runs, 79 doubles and 201 RBI over the past two seasons. But it’s the reality given the way the front office has operated of late.
If Boston feels like that’s coming, however, they would be wise to trade him in the manner they did with Betts rather than being left with a void and nothing to show for it as was the case with Bogaerts. Should things come to that, these three teams would make a ton of sense to stride up trade talks with the Red Sox.
Rafael Devers rumors: 3 teams that need to take advantage of Red Sox in a trade
The Mariners can stay aggressive and upgrade 3B with Rafael Devers
Over the past year, we’ve seen the Seattle Mariners become substantially more aggressive in improving their roster. Even before calling up eventual AL Rookie of the Year winner and new sensation Julio Rodriguez, the team signed Robbie Ray to a lucrative deal last offseason while making upgrades throughout the roster.
That has continued since the 2022 trade deadline when they acquired and eventually extended Luis Castillo and have since traded for both Kolten Wong to man second base and Teoscar Hernandez to provide an upgrade in the outfield. But why stop there when it comes to being aggressive?
As of right now, 31-year-old Eugenio Suárez is the main guy at third base and, while he has been a nice addition for the M’s, the fact of the matter is that he doesn’t hit for a great average and does strike out a bit too much. These are two things that Devers would upgrade immediately while still providing the same power and dangerousness in the heart of the order.
Oh yeah, he’d also make the team younger while doing so.
Any Devers trade would be unbelievably expensive, but the Mariners have shown that they are willing to swing big when they have the chance lately. And if they have a chance at landing the third baseman from the Red Sox, it would be foolish for Seattle not to all-out pursue a deal.
Pairing Rafael Devers and Carlos Correa would be a massive with for the SF Giants
Ultimately, the San Francisco Giants missed out in 2022 free agency in their pursuit of Aaron Judge. They answered that, however, by landing Carlos Correa to a monster contract that will keep him in the Bay Area until he’s 41 years old.
The all-out pursuits the team has made in free agency with both Judge (unsuccessfully) and then with Correa (successfully) prove that the Giants understand that they need franchise cornerstones that can be built around moving forward. And if Rafael Devers were to hit the trade market, he would fill a void they’ve been trying to for some time.
Yes, the Giants do have top prospect Marco Luciano lying in the wings. However, as a natural shortstop who can also play third, the Correa signing might make him a more interesting trade chip than otherwise. More importantly, this team that has taken swings with the likes of Kris Bryant and Evan Longoria recently would love to get a proven commodity to help them compete right away.
Devers is the guy who could be that for them while also fitting into the overall long-term plans for the Giants, an organization currently blessed with a loaded farm system and that also has a bevy of intriguing options already in the majors — and not to mention a great coaching staff and pitching rotation as well.
It would be interesting to see how much of the farm system the Giants would have to give up in a trade but it might be worth it if they could pair Devers and Correa together on the left side of the infield for the long term.
Steve Cohen could show off his deep pockets further by getting Rafael Devers to the Mets
Much like the Giants, the New York Mets also have a high-end prospect who could be the future at third base when it comes to Brett Baty. More accurately, they might actually have two with Baty and Mark Vientos. And while you have to like the future for both players within the organization, there’s one infallible truth with this franchise since Steve Cohen started opening up the checkbook: If there’s a star this team wants to add, they’ll do it.
A future lineup in New York that includes Rafael Devers, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte is extremely dangerous, especially when you then consider the pitching that they’ve added.
And the starting rotation in this equation would make things even more interesting. Though this group looks elite from top-to-bottom, the fact of the matter is that Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander aren’t getting any younger. Subsequently, it would behoove Cohen and the Mets to make as many win-now moves as possible.
Going all-in on another deal by trading for Devers with the Red Sox would be that. However, it could also set the stage for part of the team’s future as well by giving them another superstar in the lineup that can be at that level for the next decade. That’s the type of move that just seems fitting for the Mets and could very well be in the cards should the trade market for the Boston third baseman start to materialize.