Rafael Devers is Batting .235 With Nine Homers and Boston Still Got Absolutely HOSED

Alright, look, after watching our Mariners get absolutely stomped 10-1 by the Nationals today, I'm already in a mood. My green and blue heart is hurting. But you know what else gets me fired up? When a franchise totally fumbles a star player, and it turns into a complete mess for everyone involved. And let me tell you, what went down a year ago with Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox, man, it's a masterclass in how NOT to handle your biggest asset.

Boston's Self-Inflicted Star Meltdown

Can you believe it's already been a full year since the Red Sox shipped off Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants? This dude was supposed to be the face of their franchise! They literally gave him a ten-year, $313.5 million deal because they believed in him. But nope, last season was a total disaster even before the trade went down. Instead of doing the smart thing, like signing Alex Bregman and moving him to second base, Boston decided to sign Bregman and then yank Devers right off third base, making him a designated hitter. Talk about drama. It was a whole mess.

And it only got crazier! They took his glove away, then turned around and asked him to pick it back up to replace Triston Casas at first base. You can just imagine the chaos that caused behind the scenes. It's clear they had a ton of internal issues, because instead of trying to fix anything, they just traded Devers away, even though he still had EIGHT full seasons left on that monster deal. Seriously, that move was shocking to watch unfold.

The Trade That Kept On Giving, Just Not For Boston

So, what did the Red Sox get for their supposed franchise cornerstone? They picked up Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, an outfield prospect named James Tibbs III, and pitching prospect Jose Bello. And here's the kicker, the ONLY upside for Boston in this entire debacle was getting Devers' massive contract off their books. That's it.

And how'd those guys pan out for Boston? Harrison was traded again, this time to the Milwaukee Brewers, and get this: he's looking like a legitimate Cy Young Award contender. Let that sink in. Hicks struggled big time in Boston before they traded him off to the Chicago White Sox. And Tibbs? He's been an absolute monster down in the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system, after Boston inexplicably gave him up for just a few weeks of some dude named Dustin May. Right now, Bello is literally the only player from that entire trade package still hanging around in Boston's farm system. And Devers, even though he's only batting .235 with nine homers for the Giants this season, that kind of production would absolutely be helping Boston out right now.

Man, sometimes you just scratch your head at how teams make decisions. It's a clear lose-lose for Boston looking back a year later. You gotta wonder what could have been if they just figured things out with their star. As for our M's, we need to shake off this Nats loss and get back on track. We've got a long season ahead, and we need to show up ready to fight every single game. Go M's!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.