Well, the Boston Red Sox have done it again. It’s become far too common for this franchise to part ways with its most talented and beloved players, even though they operate in a major market and have all the financial power needed to retain their superstars.
Jared Carrabis of Underdog Sports broke down the frustration with the Rafael Devel trade perfectly.
“I’m sick and tired of what this team is doing to this fan base. The Red Sox just swept the Yankees to move to above .500 and into a playoff spot. That’s what we should be talking about right now. And the Red Sox cannot get out of their own f***ing way. It’s embarrassing, it’s insulting…There’s no way the Red Sox are going to sweep the Yankees to get back into a playoff spot, and then promptly trade their best f***ing hitter and the face of their franchise. There’s no way they’re doing that, right? How are you going to look your fans in the eyes today and say we made a trade that made this team better?”
Boston fans should be livid.
Diving into the Rafael Devers trade
Comparison to the Mookie Betts Trade
What makes this trade even more troubling is that the Red Sox have already been burned by trading superstars away. Back in 2020, the Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers for a package centered around Alex Verdugo. This trade is different in the sense that the Red Sox had not extended Betts before trading him away. Still, it’s the same principle of being cheap and not paying your homegrown talent. Both these deals lack the value that the team should receive when parting with such elite players.
Instead of keeping the core of the 2018 World Series Champions together, the Red Sox have moved on from all of them. They could have had a multi-championship dynasty, but instead chose to be a farm system for the NL West.
Should Fans Have Any Faith in the Franchise?
It’s hard to believe in the Red Sox front office and ownership after this move. They have already stated their reason for moving Devers is because of his unwillingness to change positions, but it’s hard to believe that when their actions tell us they just wanted an excuse to move on from his contract. Moving forward, what are fans supposed to believe? Hard to imagine Red Sox fans having faith that the team will retain top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer if they reach their potential and demand top-dollar contracts. It’s a mess in Boston, and it could have been completely avoided.
Red Sox Absolutely Embarrassed Themselves With the Rafael Devers Trade