The Boston Red Sox and Rafael Devers ended up being at ends after all. That’s the only thing that would explain Boston offloading one of the top sluggers this year without any inclination he was up for sale. Devers is headed west to help the San Francisco Giants and their NL West race to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was a blockbuster move that no one saw coming, that yielded a questionable return for the Red Sox and further puts their wild card race into question as their season is in flux once again after losing their best offensive player. Things went awry when the Red Sox brought in Alex Bregman to replace Devers at the hot corner and drifted into deeper tension when the team asked Devers to go back into the field at a new position.
Now all that drama is behind both sides as he’s on a new team and with a real chance to contend in the postseason. The Red Sox were teetering at .500 this year and now he has a chance to actually have an impact and help the Giants push for an NL West division title.
But what if the Red Sox let the rest of the league know Devers was up for sale? What would the market have been for a player of his caliber? Well let’s dive into the contenders that unknowingly missed out on a shot to get Devers.
Detroit Tigers
I’m not sure if Devers would have been eager to return to the field, but the Detroit Tigers have a major need at the hot corner right about now and I’m sure, they would have been aggressive in adding Devers. Not sure if they could afford him knowing they have Tarik Skubal’s contract looming, but certainly something to think about.
The Tigers got within arms reach of playing for a World Series championship last year and are probably eager to have another shot. Adding Devers would have given them all the confidence they could contend for an AL title.
The Giants made the move every team realizes they’ll need to dethrone the Dodgers. Now the Tigers have to think about what their power move will be. They aren’t just trying to beat the Dodgers now, they have another team to consider. That could have been them. Maybe they would have tried to make it work. I guess we’ll never know.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubbies have quickly become a hot team in the National League and are quickly making themselves contenders in the NL. Had they added Devers, they probably enter the same territory the Giants are in being a team that can truly wreak havoc for the Dodgers.
Chicago will have to face the Dodgers to get into the World Series at some point – most likely – which is why adding Devers would have been a wise move. The best way to counter a team with a loaded pitching staff and bullpen is to have as many sluggers in the lineup to overwhelm them as possible. In the playoffs, pitching depth is key. But it doesn’t instantly mean wins. The team with the best offense, specifically best situational hits, usually makes the difference. Devers is the perfect option to have for situational hits.
I don’t know if the Cubs had what they needed to get Devers, though the Giants essentially gave away a bunch of prospects so that could have worked out for the Cubs. Either way, they didn’t know what they missed so maybe they’ll be fine without Devers. But they’ll always wonder what would have happened if they added one of the best sluggers this season.
New York Mets
The New York Mets seem to have their hands in every big name player, so if Devers would have been made available, they Mets would have absolutely found a way to bring him to Queens. They threw a bag at Juan Soto, they bolstered their pitching staff as well.
The Mets are in a championship or bust mindset. That means if they had a chance to get Devers, they would have gotten him. They know they need as many sluggers as possible to challenge the Dodgers. Los Angeles is the team to beat and they have the pitching staff to beat just about any team.
That’s why the Giants landing Devers was so crucial. On top of that, they’re in the same division so the Dodgers will get very familiar with Devers. The Mets missed out and probably for the better. They already got their superstar slugger, they’ll be fine without one more.