The bomb went off

It didn't seem like it, but it happened: the Red Sox crossed the line and parted ways with Rafael Devers.

🔓Dear reader, I hope you had a Happy Father's Day. There's a lot to talk about baseball this week. The Cuban U-23 National Baseball Series has begun. The Major Leagues are on fire! Look for another edition of my column in "The Shift" this week—it will probably be an unlocked edition, I have a couple of things on my mind. We'll also take a trip down memory lane. I hope you have a great week. Let's go baseball!

When I heard the news, I thought it was a joke. I was following the Dodgers vs. Giants game on Major League Sunday, while recounting to my beloved wife, Ruth, the memories of the only time my dad and I went to the stadium together to watch a ballgame. It was on May 30, 2002, when we went to Game 3 of the Quarterfinal playoff between Industriales and Pinar del Río. Yadel Martí made that night an even more special memory, as he avoided a sweep by the Vegueros by winning a 2-1 duel against Pedro Luis Lazo. Yunel Escobar delivered the key hit, a double deep into center field that brought us all to our feet.

More than 23 years have passed, and I still remember that game as if it were yesterday, even though my dad never liked baseball.

Looking for the breaking news, Ruth checked the deal: The Giants acquire designated hitter Rafael Devers from Boston. The Red Sox recover right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, and others.

The bombshell I once thought would never explode has just exploded. The concerns of many Red Sox fans and the rumors that Devers would be traded after a controversy with General Manager Craig Breslow have come true. It was a showdown by the Red Sox. The injury to first baseman Triston Casas and Devers' reasonable refusal to play first base were undoubtedly the final straws for the Red Sox.

Now, the rest of the moves, organizational strategies, and internal friction that eroded Devers' status as the “face of the Red Sox” seem completely understandable. The mediocre management of the Red Sox front office has also been exposed, with the office now preferring to blame its history of poor operations on Devers' supposed inflexibility.

The franchise players are on an extension. Seeing how each move has been made, I have no doubt the Red Sox planned part of this breakup even before Devers' initial reaction in early spring. The money they save will likely be used to try to come up with another short-term plan. I can imagine what my good friend Julio José, a lifelong Red Sox player, is thinking: Again? They lost Mookie Betts. They lost Xander Bogaerts. And now they're spectacularly getting rid of Devers. What's the plan? Who knows.

Ultimately, Bregman was always the choice at third base for the Red Sox. And that's precisely where the supposed communication problem began, when Devers was asked at a press conference about his new role with the team. Devers seemed surprised and, as expected, said what we all knew: that he was the Red Sox's third baseman, and no one had told him about any position change. It was like starting every Spring Training plate appearance with two strikes.

So this story began long before he arrived at Spring Training. It's embarrassing that Devers went through all this, especially as the main face and undoubtedly the star of the team. Then, Opening Day arrived, and Devers debuted at DH. He began the season 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts, the worst start of any hitter in Major League history during his first 23 plate appearances. It's not difficult to understand part of the process by which Devers entered a slump of that magnitude.

However, he then showed what his class as a hitter truly is. In his next 41 plate appearances, Devers hit .429 (15-for-35) with five doubles, one home run, and eight RBIs. Setting aside his initial 0-for-19 streak, he has recorded 73 hits in 67 games, with 32 extra-base hits (18 doubles and 14 home runs) and a .949 OPS. He also leads the league with 56 walks and is second in RBIs (58), just two shy of Aaron Judge.

Devers has returned to the task, carrying a Red Sox team that is crumbling due to injuries and inconsistency. He once again brought hope to the fans when his presence in the batter's box was announced over the local PA system inside and outside Fenway Park. Although he didn't feel comfortable at first, he managed to find his rhythm and never stopped smiling. Once again, his bat spoke for him. After being removed from his position due to his inconsistent defensive record and the arrival of Alex Bregman, he adapted to playing DH. His performance confirms that he has shone among the league's top hitters.

The divorce between Rafael Devers and the Red Sox has been the breaking news of the first half of the season. Photo: MLB/Red Sox.

On Sunday, as the Red Sox quietly prepared their plan, Devers crushed a fastball from Yankees ace left-hander Max Fried and sent the ball soaring all the way to the Green Monster. The solo home run gave the Red Sox a definitive 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, and they subsequently completed the sweep of the Yankees.

Even though the Yankees were swept and have lost five straight games against the Red Sox's recent flash in the pan, their pitchers will be relieved not to face Devers so often. You know the reason: Devers has bombed the Yankees all his life. In 119 career games, he has reached base 175 times, including 120 hits and 48 walks. Of those 120 hits, 54 have been extra-base hits: 22 doubles, one triple, and 31 home runs.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has a forgettable record, allowing eight home runs, 20 RBI, and a 1.410 OPS in 46 career meetings against Devers. Whenever Cole has been asked which Latin American hitter impresses him the most, he has instantly said, “Rafael Devers.” The Cole-Devers duels reached an incredible turning point last year when Cole decided to intentionally walk Devers with no runner on first base. Devers then stole second and ended up scoring a run ahead of Cole.

But Cole wasn't the only Yankees pitcher who succumbed internally when Devers was called into the batter's box. Devers' numbers speak for themselves. Among qualified Red Sox hitters with at least 450 plate appearances against the Yankees, Devers appears in three stats that showcase his power, trailing Manny Ramírez in each:

• 5th in Slugging: .533

• 2nd in HR/PA: 16.2

• 3rd in ISO: .263

If we narrow down the performance to the “Devers Era with the Red Sox” (2017-present), we get even more impressive results: he leads with 503 plate appearances, 79 runs scored, 120 hits, 78 RBI, 48 walks, and 31 home runs—the closest being Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has 21.

I have no idea who the new face of the Red Sox will be in each matchup against the Yankees, but the reputation Devers built doesn't seem easy to replace.

So you have to ask: Why the urgency? Was this the right time, especially given how well things were going for Rafael Devers? Couldn't the organization wait until the offseason? By waiting, perhaps the Red Sox could have had some cover to improve their roster in 2025. Offering Devers didn't guarantee third baseman Alex Bregman's permanence, but it could have been a juicier and less risky deal.

But no, the Red Sox wanted to find an immediate buyer for Devers and begin implementing a strategy that doesn't seem so unexpected. The Giants assumed the remainder of Devers' 10-year, $313.5 million contract in just his second year. The cost was parting ways with four players: pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and pitching prospect José Bello.

We also don't know what the Giants' long-term strategy will be with Devers, but what we can say for sure is that they acquired one of the best hitters in the business. The Giants need power so much that you won't believe this statistic: since Barry Bonds in 2004, no other hitter has hit at least 30 home runs. Yes, it's been 21 years, and while the Giants were able to win three World Series (2010, 2012, and 2014) without any impact sluggers in the league, acquiring Devers projects consistent offensive potential.

A sneak peek at what Rafael Devers will look like in a Giants uniform. Photo: MLB.

Starting next Tuesday, Devers will debut when the San Francisco Giants host the Cleveland Guardians. He'll put on a Giants uniform for the first time with 15 home runs, 58 RBI, and a .905 OPS in 73 games this season. He hasn't fared well at Oracle Park: he's hitting .083 (1-for-12)—the other park where he hasn't fared well is Dodger Stadium—the worst average of his career at any major league park. Those numbers could change with a single swing.

After the Red Sox's sudden divorce, the Giants need Devers' legacy to usher in a new era in the Bay Area. After the storm, time will tell which move was right and who was right.