Immediate reaction to the Rafael Devers trade has not looked too kindly at the Boston Red Sox side of it.
On Sunday, Boston sent its homegrown slugger to the San Francisco Giants for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and Rookie League right-hander Jose Bello. Criticism came from all directions, much of it directed at the way Red Sox officials handled the situation from the start.
A damning report from Joon Lee of Yahoo Sports stated that the trade of Devers was, “just the latest fracture for a franchise quietly splintering behind the scenes.” MLB insider Jim Bowden was equally disparaging of Boston’s front office, calling the situation, “a total disaster.”
Red Sox Could Use Devers Funds to Target Free Agents Like Pete Alonso
Appearing on a recent episode of the “Foul Territory” podcast, Bowden blasted the Red Sox for yet another dramatic yet underwhelming trade of a superstar.
“I don’t know how a team can trade their star players literally time after time and get nothing back for them,” Bowden said. “I want you to now think about the Mookie Betts trade, the Chris Sale trade, and now the Raphael Devers trade. And so, far the best players they’ve gotten back for all three were, what, Alex Verdugo? Connor Wong? Maybe James Tibbs, someday, in this trade? Like, it’s almost unbelievable.”
And as Boston tries to save face in the aftermath of the trade, Bowden suggested that the team could allocate the funds originally meant for Devers toward other interesting avenues. Now that the Red Sox won’t have to pay roughly $250 million to Devers over the next eight-plus seasons, Bowden said they will have the financial flexibility to pursue a big-name free agent or two this offseason, possibly one that will be of interest to fans of the New York Mets.
“Can the Red Sox pivot? Sure they can, just like when the Yankees pivoted when they lost Juan Soto to the Mets,” Bowden said. “They can pivot this offseason. They’ve opened up a spot for Roman Anthony, that’s good. They could use this money in the offseason to go get Pete Alonzo.”
It would make a lot of sense for Boston, who may be ready to move on from the Triston Casas experiment. Imagine Alonzo taking aim at the Green Monster for the next five or six seasons.
The thought of it would be enough to make Mets fans nauseous – and even madder at the team’s front office.
Pete Alonso Likely to Opt-Out of Deal After Career-Best Offensive Numbers
Alonso, a second-round pick of the Mets in 2016, went into free agency for the first time after the 2024 season, hoping for a deal that would get him close to retirement age. But instead of dealing proactively with the homegrown star, the team hemmed and hawed with Alonzo throughout the winter, finally agreeing to a two-year, $54 million contract on February 12 with a player opt-out after this season.
It seems safe to say that Alonzo will take the opt-out. The 30-year-old decided to bet on himself and has so far cashed in with a career-best slash line of .291/.387/.561, including 17 home runs and 63 RBIs.
And in his second bite at the free agent apple, Alonzo is likely to be chased by more suitors. Maybe even the Red Sox.
“There are ways that they could turn this team around in the offseason,” Bowden said.
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