The Boston Red Sox have seen this story being played before. A beloved homegrown star—gone. This time, the one on the chopping block is none other than Rafael Devers, packing his bags for the West Coast. Now, if that sounds familiar, it is because it is. Back in 2020, it was Mookie Betts who was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers. And now, years later, Boston has done it again, sending their best hitter to the San Francisco Giants.
The news broke shortly after the Boston Red Sox had just swept the New York Yankees in what many thought was the turning point of the season. And then came the shock that Devers was headed west in exchange for four players—Kyle Harrison, Jordon Hicks, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello.
Of course, the MLB world and Boston fans were shell-shocked. Mookie Betts, who was once in the same shoes as Devers, too, was out of words. “I just thought it was crazy,” Betts told The Athletic. “Nothing really to say; it’s just crazy.” When pressed more, Betts simply chose not to feed the drama, saying, “I genuinely don’t care..It just is what it is.” While Betts offered a neutral stance, Ortiz didn’t shy away from the moment.
David Ortiz reacts to the Rafael Devers news, “Nobody is thinking about your feelings. Learn about the business and then give your opinion.”
Via: @YancenPujols pic.twitter.com/1ovfEFbgip
— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) June 16, 2025
The Boston Red Sox legend chimed in under a Dominican journalist’s Instagram post and dropped a rather cryptic message. And it was rather telling! Written in a Dominican Spanish casual language, Ortiz’s message roughly translates to, “Hey, our country has a fan trip that’s good, but they don’t know the business. No one here is into sentiment. They ended up spending almost all of Dominica during that event. Now they’re telling you, Boston this, Boston that. Learn the business and then give your opinion.”
Now, for anyone wondering where Big Papi stands in this entire ordeal, it sounds like he is more team front office than team outrage. At least with his initial comment. Now this stance by Big Papi is rather a surprise, because back in February, Ortiz had defended Devers several times, amid all the rumors that the team wanted to move him off third base, given Alex Bregman was in the picture. Ortiz had said, “You’re not talking about just another ballplayer… You are talking about Rafael Devers, the current David Ortiz-type player the Red Sox have. That’s the team’s best player.”
Now that the player is gone, many in Boston are left wondering what exactly this business is all about. For Ortiz, maybe the writing had been on the wall for a while, given that a lot of internal drama did take place in the clubhouse. Rafael Devers simply did not want to move out of his position and move to another, but had to. But for the fans, it still feels personal, and they are disappointed.
Red Sox hand the Giants a game-changing power boost with Rafael Devers
Even with Ortiz calling it a business decision, the game really is more than just numbers, isn’t it? Boston Red Sox fans are not taking this deal well at all. Ask Jared Carrabis! Speaking on Section 10 right after the trade, he didn’t mince words at all. “The Red Sox cannot look this fan base in the eye today and tell us that they just made this team better. They didn’t.” He also showed up on the MLB Network, basically voicing what the fans were already feeling—this trade hurts—hurts bad.
Now, Devers wasn’t just a fan favorite; he was the heart of the lineup. A three-time all-star, two-time silver slugger, and one of the most consistent bats in the sport. Now gone from Boston. Plus, weren’t things supposed to be different for Boston this time around? Yet here they seem to be trading the best pieces away. And without Devers, the lineup takes a serious hit, and so do the playoff odds. Sure, one can argue that it makes room for their top prospect, Roman Anthony, to stick in the roster—but that’s not the main lookout now.
For the Giants, though, they must be popping champagne already. Their odds to win the World Series at BetMGM just jumped from +3000 to +2500 after the deal. That’s the power of change that they think Devers would bring to the lineup. Plus, at 41-31, the Giants are just two games behind the defending champion Dodgers in the NL West, and things are tight.
The Padres are also right behind them, and the Diamondbacks are not too far off. So basically, it’s a dogfight almost. And the Giants needed a big bat, and they now have one. Devers gives them the offensive power they have been missing. He’s got 15 homers, 58 RBIs, and an on-base percentage that led the AL before the trade.
The bottom line is that while some Boston fans are mourning, for San Francisco, it’s a great day. What do you think about this trade? Let us know in the comments.
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