FanSided's Robert Murray sent the baseball world ablaze with just five words: "BREAKING: Rafael Devers to Giants." No one knew how to respond when they saw the news, with the initial reaction being whether the insider's social media account was hacked. The shocking move that sent the now-former Boston Red Sox franchise centerpiece to the San Francisco Giants caught everyone by surprise.
As more information regarding the stunning blockbuster trade materializes, it's becoming clear the Red Sox didn't necessarily open the bidding to everyone. Why, you may ask? That's a conversation for another time. Nonetheless, one club that would've loved a chance to beat out San Francisco's underwhelming offer is the American League-leading Detroit Tigers.
Detroit profiled as an ideal Devers destination if Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had diligently shopped the star slugger around. No team would've been more motivated or better-positioned to get a deal done. Moreover, the Tigers could've righted the well-chronicled Alex Bregman free agency saga from this past offseason.
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Tigers have every right to feel snubbed by not getting an attempt to trade for Rafael Devers
No matter which way you look at it, Devers to Detroit made a whole lot of sense — for all parties involved. He's a perfect lineup fit, and the Red Sox would've surely received a more promising return package for him than what they got from the Giants. And of course, the Bregman love triangle element only adds to the intrigue, so the Tigers must be kicking themselves.
Tigers fans certainly haven't forgotten about Bregman choosing the Red Sox over the Tigers roughly four months ago. It remains fresh on their minds, and ostensibly still on Boston's. Perhaps Breslow considered the damaging PR that would've come with shipping Devers to Detroit after winning the recruiting battle for Bregman this past winter.
However, the Tigers' farm system is littered with valuable assets that a seemingly rebuilding organization should covet; throw out your priors! Outfielder Max Clark (No. 7), infielder Kevin McGonigle (No. 23) and shortstop Bryce Rainer (No. 44) are all among the 50 best overall prospects in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Who's to say the Red Sox couldn't have snagged at least one of them from Detroit? The best Minor League bargaining chip Boston squeezed out of San Fran was James Tibbs, and he doesn't even crack the top 100.
The Tigers are equipped to entice the Red Sox, though that ship has sailed. But more importantly, they also need a third baseman, evidenced by their failed Bregman pursuit. This further drives up a hypothetical asking price for a Detroit group aiming to get over the hump in October.
It's been a platoon approach at the hot corner for the Tigers. Zach McKinstry, Andy Ibáñez, Javier Báez and Jace Jung (who has since been optioned to Triple-A Toledo) have each had cracks at the position. Devers immediately changes that, knowing his desire to man the spot that was deterred by Bregman this season led to the unceremonious Boston departure.