Translating Red Sox management’s bullshit as they dump Rafael Devers

The Red Sox signed Rafael Devers to a $313 million, 10-year contract in 2023. They just traded him to the San Francisco Giants for some losing pitchers and low-level prospects. Red Sox Nation generally loved Raffy and is devastated.

What actually happened is obvious to those who’ve been following the team. At the start of the year, Devers was told to stop playing third base and become designated hitter when they signed a hot-hitting third-basemen Alex Bregman. Devers complained, and then did as he was told and starting hitting extremely well. When Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas had a season-ending injury in May, the Sox asked Devers to try his hand at fielding first base; he refused. Bregman injured his quadriceps later in May; Devers refused to go back to fielding third base while Bregman was out. So Sox management got sick of paying a huge contract for a player who disrespected them and traded him. They’ve got a bunch of promising rookies just up from the minor leagues and now there’s more chances to get them in the game.

Of course, they won’t actually come out and say that.

What Red Sox management says and what it actually means

The statements from Red Sox management on trading yet another highly popular player sound like total bullshit. Here’s what they said and what they actually mean.

Sox President/CEO Sam Kennedy: “In terms of what was missing, it just was that alignment in terms of what we felt we needed from him that would be in the absolute best interest of the ballclub. That’s a non-starter for us. We have to have that. We couldn’t get there. We obviously, over the last week or so, reached an inflection point … and we came to the very difficult decision to make a deal that we think serves the best interests of the Boston Red Sox in the short term and in the long term.”

Translation: He wouldn’t play where we wanted him to play, even though we asked him very nicely. So we had to dump him.

Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow (asked if Devers asked for at trade): “[His agents] had indicated that perhaps a fresh start would be best for both sides. … This does represent that chance to reset on our end, and for Raffy to get a fresh start.”

Translation: Everybody was upset with each other, so we needed to trade him.

Breslow: “There was something amiss here,” he said. “And it was something that we needed to act decisively to course correct.”

Translation: It was easier to trade him than to work with him.

Breslow: “I acknowledge that on paper, we’re not going to have the same lineup that we did. But this isn’t about the game that is played on paper. I think when you consider the flexibility, the ability to give some of the young players some run, the opportunity to maybe repackage some of the resources [acquired in the trade — both in terms of young talent and financial flexibility] and fill some voids in the roster as early as approaching this year’s deadline, and being really intentional about the environment that we create for these young players to thrive in, then I do think that there is a real chance that at the end of the season, we’re looking back, and we’ve won more games than we otherwise would have.”

Translation: We got crap assets back in the trade. But now the rookies have room to play. And we can use the money for something else at the trade deadline, or save it for later.

Breslow: “Ultimately, we believe that we’re positioning the organization to win a bunch of games, both in 2025 and beyond. [It’s] important to point out that this is in no way signifying a waving of the white flag on 2025. We are as committed as we were six months ago to putting a winning team on the field, to competing for the division and making a deep postseason run.

Translation: Honest, trading one of our best players will help us win now. Why don’t you believe me? Please keep buying tickets and watching us on TV.

Inevitable bullshit

In a fight between sports management and a player, management typically wins. They pay huge amounts of money, and expect to be able to do whatever they want with the players they’re paying. Players who don’t like it will get traded — no matter how good they are.

Anyone who follows sports sees this.

It’s just a shame that no sports team’s management can actually be honest about it.

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick would have just said “We made the choice we felt was best for the team” and left it at that. Unsatisfying as that would be, it may be better than the bullshit the Red Sox management is feeding us.

Good luck, Raffy.