TRADE: Red Sox & Giants Swing Stunning Blockbuster Deal

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers during 2025 game.

In a stunning early blockbuster, the Boston Red Sox have traded star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, ending months of growing tension between the player and team leadership.

The deal sends Devers west in exchange for a prospect-rich package: pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, outfielder James Tibbs III, and right-hander Jose Bello. The Giants, just a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, now gain one of the game’s premier left-handed bats for their postseason push.

Friction Behind the Scenes Fueled the Deal

Devers' rocky relationship with the Red Sox front office came to a head this season. After Boston signed Alex Bregman in the offseason and shifted Devers to designated hitter, he reluctantly agreed.

But when first baseman Triston Casas went down in May, Devers flatly refused a move to the field, publicly stating the front office should “do their jobs” and find someone else. His resistance, combined with $250 million still owed on his contract, reportedly soured the team’s view on his leadership and adaptability.

The #SFGiants have acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox pic.twitter.com/sN36s6P20h
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 16, 2025

A Bold Swing for the Giants, A Turning Point for Boston

Devers is slashing .272/.349/.510 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs through 73 games and still ranks among the league's most dangerous hitters. Giants shortstop Willy Adames called the move “a message that we’re going to compete.” The trade also marks another aggressive move by Giants president Buster Posey, who previously signed Justin Verlander and Adames.

For Boston, the return strengthens its pitching core, but the move evokes memories of past star exits—Mookie Betts, Nomar Garciaparra—and sets the stage for Devers to face his old team this weekend at Oracle Park.