The Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. In return, they received Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison and two prospects – including a 2024 first-round pick. Devers signed a 10-year extension back in 2023 that will pay him over $300 million. The Giants will foot that bill, which is some of the reason why the return was so low for a generational hitter. Red Sox fans are understandably furious, as this is far from the first time Boston has traded a face of the franchise for a limited return – see Mookie Betts – but that hasn't stopped them from selling jerseys.
For those Red Sox fans who hope to buy a Devers jersey in protest (and I know you exist) it'll still cost you a pretty penny. Yes, Devers jerseys are discounted, but they remain upwards of $158 at worst, and $54 for a replica. I'm not one to criticize a baseball franchise for making money hand over fist – and frankly anyway they can – but the Red Sox just saved $300 million via Devers deal. Why sell his jersey for anything at all? Heck, they ought to install a buy-back program to make amends with angry Boston sports fans.
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Red Sox fans asked to get over the Rafael Devers trade
Craig Breslow and the Red Sox's press conference on Monday night didn't do them any favors, either. "In the end it was pretty clear that we couldn't find alignment with [Devers], is the truth," Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy told reporters on Monday. "We all worked at it over the last several months going back to the offseason. ... We had a different vision for him going forward than he had, and we couldn't get there. We couldn't find alignment, and we reached that inflection point and made the decision to make a big move."
Per Boston's narrative, they had no other way out. Trading Devers was their only option, which makes next to no sense given Devers told reporters that his drama with the front office was over with just hours before he was traded. The move clearly caught Raffy off-guard, and Red Sox fans were along for the ride. The same can be said about Betts and Bogaerts before him.
As the end of Devers tenure in Boston continues to leak out, Red Sox fans should not buy into the noise. Fenway Sports Group traded Devers because they don't believe he's worth the money as a highly-paid DH. The decision to extend him in the first place was made by a previous regime. It really can be that simple.
For now, buy his jersey! All the money will go right into John Henry's pockets.