When the Dallas Mavericks shocked the world by trading organizational centerpiece Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, the outpouring of support was apparent. Opponents, teammates, retired players, fans, coaches and even athletes from different sports were by the Slovenian superstar's side when he was blindsided. Meanwhile, the same can't be said for the MLB version, the blockbuster deal that sent standout slugger Rafael Devers from Beantown to the Bay.
Devers was stunningly re-routed from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. The transaction marked the end of what's been a long-winded and well-chronicled saga between the 2018 World Series MVP and his front office. But unlike Dončić's abrupt exit, none of his former colleagues are going to bat for him, an odd yet notable development.
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The Red Sox clubhouse doesn't seem to miss Rafael Devers all that much
Red Sox All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran slept just fine after seeing Devers get off the team plane and the reality set in. He "napped most of the [flight]," adding that time got ahead of him and reacting to the news wasn't necessarily on his mind (h/t WEEI).
Jarren Duran explained how he found out Rafael Devers was being traded on the team plane and the message from manager Alex Cora during the Macfarlane Energy 2-Minute Grill with @bradfo
— WEEI Red Sox Network (@SoxBooth) June 17, 2025
Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/CiOvPp7nUC
"[Devers is] a great player, but at the end of the day, it's how many guys [on the roster], 26?" Duran stated. "That’s just one guy, so we’ve got 25 other guys that were pulling from the same line to win those series, not just one. So I think we’ve got to think about it like that as a team."
All valid points from Duran, who didn't stop there. He described the Devers swap as "just a trade at the end of the day." Again, the former lauded Raffy, but further downplayed the matter, saying: "... it's baseball and trades happen all the time" (h/t New England Sports Network).
Boston's ace, Garrett Crochet, ostensibly wasn't crying over spilled milk, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive. While he mentioned that the Red Sox will miss Devers' "big presence in the lineup," they can't "sit here and harp on that."
"I don’t think that does anybody in this room any good," Crochet voiced. "I don’t think that that’s what the fan base wants to hear us say either. Quite frankly, for us it’s just let’s keep stacking wins. ... We obviously have to keep pushing forward and we still have a lot of ground to make up to be the team we want to be."
Moreover, Crochet doesn't feel Boston's brass owes the clubhouse any clarification or justification. Contrary to popular belief, the southpaw believes chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. are operating with the Red Sox's best interests in mind.
"I think that the front office doesn’t owe us an explanation," Crochet declared. "Quite frankly, what they’re doing is what’s best for the team, and we have to respect that. I think as players, it’s on us to just continue to do our job."