As even the most casual baseball fans know by now, the Boston Red Sox traded their franchise player, designated hitter — and former third baseman — Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on June 15. But so far there has been no indication of what, if anything, the Red Sox plan to do to replace Devers’ offensive production.
On Monday, New York Post longtime MLB insider Jon Heyman, speaking on the MLB Network, proposed a trade candidate who could make up for Devers’ absence, at least partially.
The need to make some sort of an aggressive move was made quite clear over the weekend when the Red Sox went into San Francisco to face Devers on his new team. Though Devers went just 2-13 in the three game series, in Saturday’s game he blasted a two-run home run that proved to be the difference in a 3-2 Giants victory.
Red Sox Trade Target Kills Right Pitching
The trade target mentioned by Heyman has actually hit better than Devers this season, or at least as well, by many offensive metrics. There’s just one catch. The comparison holds up only against right-handed pitchers. Fortunately, approximately seven of every 10 MLB pitchers are right-handed.
Heyman said in the Monday interview that he expects the Red Sox to “buy” at the trade deadline, which is now about five weeks away. That is, the team which now sits six games out of first place in the America League East and only one-half game behind the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians for the final AL Wild Card spot will be looking to acquire Major League talent provide boost in the final months of the season.
In exchange, a buyer generally sends minor league prospects — in effect trading a piece of the team’s future for a better present.
Heyman reported that the Red Sox may be interested in trading for Baltimore Orioles’ designated hitter and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.
After Devers was dealt to the NL, O’Hearn became the AL’s top All-Star vote-getter at the DH position.
One of the reasons Devers was ultimately traded from Boston was his refusal to even attempt to play first base after the season-ending injury to Triston Casas, the Red Sox regular first-baseman, on May 2. But O’Hearn switches easily between first, where he has played 25 games this season and 335 in his eight-year career, and DH.
O’Hearn Called ‘Logical’ Red Sox Trade Candidate
Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com also wrote last week that he sees O’Hearn as a “logical fit” with the Red Sox. Against righties, O’Hearn has posted an OPS of .919 this season, compared to Devers’ .901.
After hitting 15 home runs with a 119 wRC+ — an overall measure of offensive production in which the MLB average is set at 100 — in 2024, the Orioles’ picked up O’Hearn’s $8 million club option for 2025. After this year, the 31-year-old can become a free agent.
O’Hearn’s wRC+ so far in 2025 is even better — 148. Compare that to Devers who is now, before Monday’s action, at 144. According to Statcast, O’Hearn has a hard-hit percentage of 49.2, just slightly behind Devers at 54.7.
With O’Hearn as a “rental,” who could simply depart after the current season, the Red Sox could not be expected to surrender much of a prospect haul to get him — but they will need to part with at least one quality player.
That could be left-handed 22-year-old pitcher Payton Tolle, who was just promoted from the Single-A level to Boston’s Double-A Portland, Maine, affiliate on Monday.
Tolle is the fourth-ranked pitching prospect in the Red Sox farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. But SoxProspects.com has him as the second-ranked pitcher in the Red Sox minor leagues, and fifth prospect at any position overall.
Red Sox Trade Pitch Replaces Rafael Devers With $8 Million Righty-Crushing 1B