MLB Exec 'Wouldn't Want to Touch' Rafael Devers Contract After Red Sox-Giants Trade

The Boston Red Sox lost one of their best hitters right as they were building momentum when they traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, but some around the league believe it was the right move to get out of the slugger's contract.

"The Red Sox are worse today, but I wouldn't want to touch the Devers contract," an American League executive said, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. "[Kyle] Harrison could be solid. It's a good deal for the Red Sox in the long run. That's a long time for a DH to be under contract."

The 2025 season is just the second year of Devers' 10-year, $313.5 million deal. Feinsand noted the Giants assumed the remainder of the contract, meaning they will pay him more than $250 million through the 2033 campaign.

For the right to do so, San Francisco sent pitchers Jordan Hicks and Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and relief pitcher Jose Bello to the Red Sox in the trade.

"It's a pretty good return considering that Boston didn't have many options," an executive said, per Feinsand. "I think there was a path to get him to first base—maybe in 2026—but that would have required some serious diplomacy on [chief baseball officer Craig] Breslow's part. And in the meantime, they had nowhere to go with [DH Masataka] Yoshida. I was surprised they got real talent back while moving all of that money."

In addition to the contract, the relationship between Devers and the Red Sox was under the spotlight at times this season.

He initially resisted moving from third base after Boston traded for Alex Bregman and then declined to change positions again after first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reported the Red Sox believed Devers "did not live up to" the responsibilities that came with his contract, while ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on SportsCenter that Devers "was not the type of person that they wanted to keep around."

Still, the loss of Devers is a massive one for Boston's 2025 outlook, as it just won seven of the last eight games overall and swept the rival New York Yankees. It is still 6.5 games behind the Yankees in the American League East but seemed to have turned the corner of late.

Now Devers will bring his .272/.401/.504 slash line, 15 home runs and 58 RBI to San Francisco and help the team attempt to make up the two-game deficit on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If he does, he will be worth the hefty price.