The Boston Red Sox dealt Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, as reported by FanSided's Robert Murray. It was a shocking trade — the sort we only see once in a generation. Devers, 28, has seven years left on his contract. He was Boston's best hitter and a pillar of the organization. Now, for reasons we still don't fully understand, he is out the door.
What makes this even juicier is that Boston and San Francisco play this week, with a three-game series slated for the upcoming weekend. The Red Sox will travel to the Bay to face an old friend and a new foe. It's a chance for Devers, one of MLB's hottest bats, to get his revenge on a coaching staff and front office he clearly felt betrayed by.
Better yet, Devers may get a chance to exact his revenge in more ways than one. Giants president Buster Posey told reporters he sees Devers as a multi-positional talent, capable of switching between DH, third base and first base as necessary — a role Devers flatly rejected in Boston, for reasons both petty and well-founded.
Just imagine — for a moment — Devers manning the corner infield against his former team after months of controversy over his willingness, or lack thereof, to play infield after Boston picked Alex Bregman to replace him at the hot corner.
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Giants could slot Rafael Devers in at 3B or 1B in first series against Red Sox
"There's the possibility (for Devers) to play third some with (Matt) Chapman out, to get some in at first, and DH," Posey said via ESPN. "By all accounts... he's a winner. He wants to do what he can to help the team. Obviously there was some back and forth with him and the Red Sox and I don't have all the details of where things went sideways, but he's excited to be in San Francisco and help our team win."
This is tremendous news for Giants fans, and a stake through the heart for Red Sox fans. It's proof that Devers' issue was never with changing positions, but with how poorly Craig Breslow, Alex Cora and the Red Sox brass handled the chain of communication. There was no clearly expressed plan when the Alex Bregman signing went down. Devers, once promised third base when he inked a historic 10-year contract, felt like Boston went back on their word.
Obviously, the Giants never promised Devers third base. This is a fresh start, and San Francisco already has a Gold Glove third baseman in Matt Chapman. Not to mention an established first baseman in Wilmer Flores. The Giants will primarily use Devers at DH, which is probably his best position given his years-long track record of subpar defense. But, on occasion, it seems like Devers is happy to switch around and pull out his glove as needed to help the Giants win.
This is a huge credit, above all, to Posey, whose ability to connect with players — not to mention his aggressiveness in trades and free agency — has quickly established him as one of the very best front office leaders in MLB.
When does Rafael Devers play the Red Sox for the first time?
Boston and San Francisco will kick off a three-game series at Oracle Park on Friday, June 20. Devers should be in the lineup. Boston, meanwhile, will be looking to figure out Jordan Hicks' placement in the bullpen. While Hicks' first taste of revenge against San Francisco could come equally fast, all eyes will obviously be on Devers, a high-profile superstar and former face of Boston's clubhouse.