Pitching Wild Rafael Devers MLB Trade Ideas amid Red Sox Drama
Are Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox headed for a breakup?
This is probably overly dramatic, but they're to blame for the existence of this notion. Because in the wake of the team's deal with fellow third baseman Alex Bregman, things are less than harmonious between Devers and the Red Sox.
Boston approached the 28-year-old about moving off the hot corner, and he wants nothing to do with it. And when asked on Monday if he would want to be traded if the team demands he move, he did not say no:
Such developments naturally kick one's imagination into overdrive, specifically regarding trade possibilities. And in this case, such a wild situation should beget truly wild trade proposals.
Before we get to those, though, it's worth taking a moment to get serious about the discord between the Red Sox and Devers.
What Would It Take for the Red Sox to Trade Devers?
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In Devers' defense, he should never have been put in this kind of bind.
Ideally, the Red Sox would have approached him about moving off third before signing Bregman. From what Devers said on Monday, it seems this never happened.
"Since the beginning, I've known that this is a business," he told reporters. "I know that each side is going to do what is best for them, what is most comfortable for them. I don't think that was the right way to do business. But I've always known that this is a business."
Yet while Devers also noted he was promised he would play third base for the foreseeable future when he agreed to an 11-year, $331 million contract in January 2023, manager Alex Cora pointed out that the guy who made that promise is gone:
It's a fair point, and the Red Sox are likewise within their rights to force the issue of a position change.
It's not like Devers has to worry about getting paid, and he simply isn't on the same level defensively as the Gold Glove-winning Bregman. And if Bregman plays third and Devers moves to DH, there will be an opening at second base for Kristian Campbell, who ranks as MLB.com's No. 7 prospect.
Basically, the ultimate message to Devers should be this: Swallow your pride and do what's best for the team.
Then again, this kerfuffle exists precisely because Devers doesn't want to swallow his pride. And if he continues to refuse and the Red Sox continue to insist, him asking for a trade may be the only way out for both sides.
What Kind of Trade Value Would Devers Have?
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In the event Devers demands a trade, the disadvantage for the Red Sox would be that they have less leverage than if it had been their idea.
And yet, they wouldn't need to hope to merely rid themselves of the player and his remaining contract.
Though he is owed $266 million through 2033, Baseball Trade Values estimates he has $23.2 million in surplus value. Which, honestly, should not surprise anyone.
Defensive issues aside, Devers is a three-time All-Star who doesn't turn 30 until October 24, 2026. He is one of the most purely dangerous hitters in MLB, according to his 398 extra-base hits (first) and his 1,243 hard-hit balls (second) since 2019.
Though he must be paid a $2 million assignment bonus if he is traded, he doesn't have no-trade protection. The Red Sox could therefore trade him to whoever, though the buyer would presumably want to honor his wishes to play third.
The other safe assumption is that Boston would only move Devers for a win-now package. They're a legitimate World Series contender going into 2025, and therefore not in a position to make themselves worse in the short term.
Hence why only wild trade ideas are acceptable in this context. And yet, each of the eight I'm about to pitch passed muster with Baseball Trade Values' trade simulator.
Without further ado, let's count 'em down according to a "Wow Factor" that is definitely not an objective measure by any stretch.
Note: Prospect rankings are according to B/R's Joel Reuter.
Detroit Tigers
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Trade Proposal: Detroit Tigers get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get 1B Spencer Torkelson, RHP Alex Lange, SS Bryce Rainer (Tigers No. 5)
Why It Works for the Tigers
Part of the reason there is drama afoot in Boston is because Bregman chose not to take the six-year, $171.5 million offer the Tigers made him.
That was a real shame for Detroit, as it doesn't really have a that guy in its lineup. You know, a tried-and-true star who brings both an impact bat and loads of big-game experience to the table.
This is where Devers would come in, and taking on the remainder of his contract wouldn't necessarily be impossible. The Tigers are projected to raise payroll by $40 million in 2025, but they're still nowhere close to their past ceilings.
The Tigers wouldn't miss anybody they'd be parting with in this deal. Torkelson and Lange are expendable, and Rainer is only their second-best shortstop prospect.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
This would be a dice-roll for Boston, as Torkelson has been a bust as a major leaguer and Lange is coming off an injury-marred season.
However, Torkelson was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft and is still only 25 years old. He'd fit the Red Sox as a right-handed bat who could platoon with Triston Casas at first base and Masataka Yoshida at DH.
For their parts, Lange was an effective closer in 2023 and Rainer was the No. 11 pick in last year's draft. The latter could become a post-Bregman regular at third base, or perhaps at shortstop if fellow top prospect Marcelo Mayer moves to the hot corner.
Wow Factor: 3/10
New York Mets
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Trade Proposal: New York Mets get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get OF Starling Marte, RHP Brandon Sproat (Mets No. 1), OF Drew Gilbert (Mets No. 7)
Why It Works for the Mets
Does this work for the Mets, though?
It would be an imperfect fit, as Devers taking over at third would force Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker to share first base and the DH spot.
And yet, one of those guys (i.e., Winker) should be a bench jockey anyway. There's also the reality that, even with a $331 million payroll, the Mets project as a second-fiddle NL contender to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
Adding Devers would upend that equation, with the added bonus of setting the Mets up nicely for beyond 2025. He, Vientos, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor would be aboard for the long haul.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
The Red Sox would get some immediate savings in this deal, as they'd be swapping out Devers' $29.5 million salary for Marte's $20.8 million salary.
Mind you, Marte would also be useful to Boston in 2025. He could platoon with Wilyer Abreu in right and Yoshida at DH, and he'd do a darn good job of it if he were to carry over his .844 OPS vs. lefties from last year.
Arguably, the real draws here are Williams and especially Sproat. The latter is a 24-year-old with three plus pitches, and he doesn't need much more seasoning in the minor leagues.
Wow Factor: 4/10
Los Angeles Dodgers
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Trade Proposal: Los Angeles Dodgers get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get 3B/1B Max Muncy, INF/OF Chris Taylor, RHP Bobby Miller, SS Alex Freeland (Dodgers No. 4)
Why It Works for the Dodgers
The Dodgers are part of this exercise only because yours truly couldn't resist.
I'm too young to remember the 1927 Yankees, but Devers in the same lineup as Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández would have me thinking, "Hmmm, yes, this must have been what it was like."
The Dodgers already have an absurd $389 million payroll, but this deal would be pretty much neutral in terms of average annual value. Devers' AAV is $29 million, with Muncy and Taylor adding up to an AAV of $27 million.
Muncy is the only one of these players who figures to play a prominent role for the Dodgers in 2025, and methinks they would rather have Devers if it was a simple either/or question.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
Muncy is not Devers, but he could at least ensure Devers' power would not be missed in Boston. He's typically good for 30 homers when he's healthy.
Though he's a forgotten man in Los Angeles, Miller could be an X-factor in Boston. His 2024 season was wrecked by a bad shoulder, but before that came an electric rookie season in 2023. And he's only 25 years old.
The book on Freeland is that he's a capable defender with potentially 20-homer power, making him another candidate to work as a partner in crime with Mayer on the left side of Boston's infield in the future.
Wow Factor: 5/10
Chicago Cubs
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Trade Proposal: Chicago Cubs get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get RF/DH Seiya Suzuki, C Moises Ballesteros (Cubs No. 3)
Why It Works for the Cubs
The Cubs are another team that wanted Bregman, reportedly offering him a four-year deal worth $115 million.
You can't fault Bregman for saying no, whereas you can fault the Cubs for pivoting to Justin Turner. He was a third baseman once upon a time, but he's now 40 years old and strictly a 1B/DH type.
Devers is thus a better roster fit for the Cubs, and this trade would see him swapped for a player who doesn't fit them so well anymore. That is Suzuki, whose status as the de facto DH is potentially an awkward one.
Of course, Devers' remaining contract ($266 million) calls for a lot more money than Suzuki's ($38 million). But with their payroll currently $31 million below what they spent in 2024, there shouldn't be any doubt that the Cubs can afford the switch.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
Though Boston has a Gold Glover in right field in the form of Abreu, he's so dismal against lefties that the team could surely promise time in the field to Suzuki.
Plus, the dude's just a good hitter in general. Suzuki is coming off a career-best .848 OPS and there's a ton of red on his Statcast profile.
Ballesteros, meanwhile, could be the catcher-of-the-future that the Red Sox gave up when they traded Kyle Teel in the Garrett Crochet deal. He's a bat-first backstop, but to question anyone with that profile is to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Wow Factor: 6/10
Seattle Mariners
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Trade Proposal: Seattle Mariners get 3B Rafael Devers, cash; Boston Red Sox get RHP Luis Castillo, C Harry Ford (Mariners No. 3)
Why It Works for the Mariners
Third base was a major need for the Mariners at the outset of the offseason, and their eventual solution was to re-sign Jorge Polanco.
That is not going to move the needle if Polanco doesn't break free from his pattern of diminishing returns. He's missed 184 games since 2022 and is coming off a .651 OPS.
Devers is the proper superstar the Mariners need to help support Julio Rodríguez, and he's a unicorn in that he actually hits well at T-Mobile Park. It's a death trap for most hitters, but he has a .938 OPS there for his career.
The Mariners are already raising their payroll, so the Red Sox would need to include enough cash to offset Devers' ($29.5 million) and Castillo's ($24.2 million) salaries. Otherwise, Seattle has the depth to survive losing him and Ford.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
Castillo was on Boston's radar before Crochet and Walker Buehler came to town, and you know what they say about never having too much pitching.
Indeed, Castillo joining the Red Sox's rotation would promise to transform it into a proper powerhouse. He's older and showing signs of decline, yet that fastball of his still plays as an elite pitch.
Whereas he's blocked by Cal Raleigh in Seattle, Ford would be another Teel-replacement acquisition for the Red Sox. He's a capable defender who has a rare combination of both power and speed as a catcher.
Wow Factor: 7/10
Philadelphia Phillies
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Trade Proposal: Philadelphia Phillies get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get RF Nick Castellanos, 3B Alec Bohm, SS Aidan Miller (Phillies No. 3)
Why It Works for the Phillies
Do the Phillies need a third baseman? Well, no.
However, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski loves his stars and it's not as if Bohm is indispensable. Indeed, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported on February 13 that the 28-year-old's attitude caused "frustration" last season.
As for Devers at Citizens Bank Park, well, that's just a fun concept. Per Statcast, it's the best park for lefty power hitters this side of Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
This is another basically AAV-neutral deal, as Castellanos and Bohm's average salaries add up to a figure just $1.3 million below that of Devers. Which is helpful, because the Phillies' payroll is already up $40 million.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
Castellanos is a frustrating hitter, but the Red Sox would stand to at least get good power out of him as a primary DH and occasional right fielder.
As for Bohm, the Red Sox could turn him into a super-utility type to use primarily against lefties. He has a .870 OPS against them for his career, compared to a .693 OPS vs. righties.
If they're going to have Devers and Trea Turner next to each other in the long term, there wouldn't be much cause for the Phillies to hold on to Miller. In Boston's system, he would profile as either a bat-first shortstop or a well-rounded third baseman.
Wow Factor: 8/10
Los Angeles Angels
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Trade Proposal: Los Angeles Angels get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get RF Mike Trout, LHP Samuel Aldegheri (Angels No. 5), $100 million cash
Why It Works for the Angels
Oh, yeah. We're going there.
As much as Trout's name, it's the $100 million in cash to Boston that stands out here. The three-time MVP's stock has truly fallen that far, and including that money would effectively make this a $366 million investment on the Angels' part.
While that might sound exorbitant, it's a decent estimate for what Devers would be worth on the open market. It's basically half a Juan Soto deal, which sounds about right for a lefty slugger who's two years older and similarly decorated.
Besides, this deal would be a sort of magic trick for the Angels. Their former cornerstone would be gone, and in his place would be a new one they could build around for a long time.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
Trout has a no-trade clause, so this is assuming he'd waive that to go to Boston.
That's not a leap, right? The poor guy is way overdue for some postseason success, and the Red Sox can offer him a much better shot at it than the Angels. And while right field is in Trout's immediate future, there would be nothing stopping him from claiming the Red Sox's DH spot for the long term.
As for the Italy-born Aldegheri, he's more of a high-floor guy than a high-ceiling type. Either way, he's an MLB-ready hurler who could help Boston in 2025.
Wow Factor: 9/10
Toronto Blue Jays
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Trade Proposal: Toronto Blue Jays get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Why It Works for the Blue Jays
Oh, yeah. We're going here, too.
If you're thinking this trade is ridiculous, well, it probably is. Two AL East rivals swapping superstars, one a rental and the other on a contract that runs through 2033? That's some galaxy-brained stuff.
Then again, the Blue Jays just found out on Monday that Guerrero already has one foot out the door. They were unable to sign him to an extension, and his intention now is to reach free agency after 2025.
In effect, this trade would turn Guerrero into the piece the Blue Jays wanted to make him: A cornerstone star and central power source for years and years to come.
Why It Works for the Red Sox
The idea here is this: Why wait for a union that may be inevitable?
The Red Sox are the early favorite to sign Guerrero as a free agent, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. And according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, that would be just fine by the 25-year-old:
The fit isn't quite perfect, given the Red Sox already have Casas at first base. But either he or Guerrero could be moved to DH for the sake of accommodating the latter's bat, which has produced a 1.054 OPS at Fenway Park.
If the Red Sox were to expedite adding Guerrero by trading for him, their next step should be to ask how much he wanted from the Blue Jays and give it to him.
Wow Factor: 10/10
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
