The Boston Red Sox sent waves throughout the baseball world on Sunday by agreeing to trade All-Star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.
Devers has been the focus of plenty of drama this season after the team asked him to make the transition from third base to being a full-time designated hitter after the franchise signed Alex Bregman. Despite Devers' understandable displeasure with the request, he agreed to the plan and had acclimated himself quite well to being a DH.
Now, Devers is gone to the Bay Area in exchange for a package centered around starting pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, among others, as first reported by FanSided. With Devers well on his way to another 30 home run, 100 RBI season, this move to bolster the pitching staff will impact every aspect of the Red Sox's roster, and the play of one veteran in particular is under the microscope.
The San Francisco Giants are acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox for Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison and more, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) June 15, 2025
Alex Bregman Already on Thin Ice After Rafael Devers Trade
Bregman was brought in to be the everyday third baseman for Boston, and while he has performed well when healthy, he has already missed 22 games this season due to a quadriceps injury. Alex Cora recently stated that the veteran is diligently working his way back to the field, but it appears as though his return to the lineup is still a ways away.
"The progression is going well," Cora said during last week's series against the New York Yankees. "Let's see how he feels tomorrow and then we'll go from there, and obviously we're still far away from him starting the baseball progression."
Following these comments was a report from Tim Healey of The Boston Globe saying Bregman was likely to skip an upcoming minor league rehab assignment and was only running at about 50% at this time. Availability is one of the best abilities a player can have in professional sports, and the availability of Bregman moving forward is as important as ever for Cora and this team.
With Devers now gone, and Bregman being part of the roster being a major reason why, the veteran third baseman can not afford to have a lackluster finish to this 2025 campaign after hitting .299 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 51 games.