Rafael Devers traded to Giants: Red Sox superstar headed to San Francisco in stunning MLB blockbuster

The San Francisco Giants are acquiring All-Star DH/infielder Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, the teams confirmed late Sunday.. The Red Sox will receive right-hander Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison, outfield/infield prospect James Tibbs, and minor-league right-hander Jose Bello.

Devers, 28, is batting .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs in 73 games for Boston this season. He's in the second year of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract that will run through the 2033 season. The Giants will be picking up the entire remaining obligation. That contract extension did not include a no-trade clause, and Devers had yet to qualify for 10-and-5 rights, which means he had no capacity to block the trade. 

A highly productive hitter for much of his career, Devers across parts of nine MLB seasons has an OPS+ of 128 with 214 home runs and a WAR of 24.8. He's a three-time All-Star, and he won a Silver Slugger award in 2021.

On the Red Sox's side, Hicks is a big arm who has been a passable and occasional presence in the rotation since he signed with the Giants. He's 28 and signed through 2027. The 23-year-old Harrison owns an ERA+ of 88 across 35 MLB starts and four relief appearances over three seasons. He figures to join the Boston rotation. Tibbs was the No. 13 overall pick in last year's draft out of Florida State. He has a slash line of .244/.351/.433 in 82 minor-league games. Bello, 20, has pitched to a 2.97 ERA and 5.83 K/BB ratio in 15 starts and 10 relief appearances. He's pitched in rookie ball this season. In addition to shedding the remainder of Devers' salary commitments and adding the above talents, the Red Sox also clear some theoretical space for all the young hitters who have trickled into Boston this season. 

The backstory to what at first blush seems like a stunning trade on the Red Sox's side is the controversy surrounding Devers' defensive assignments this season. Leading up to and after Boston's free-agent signing of Alex Bregman this past winter, Devers balked at the idea of moving off third base, the position he had manned for his entire career up until that point. Eventually, though, Devers relented and agreed to become the Red Sox's full-time DH. 

Then, however, the saga took another turn when Boston first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury in early May. Soon after the loss of Casas, the manager Alex Cora downplayed the idea of moving Devers to first base. Devers, though, said club chief baseball officer Craig Breslow did indeed approach him about picking up a glove again. 

"I'm not certain what (issue) he has with me," Devers said through an interpreter of Breslow, according to the Boston Globe. "He played ball, and I would like to think that he knows that changing positions like that isn't easy. I know I'm a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can't expect me to play every single position out there. In (spring) training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove, that I wasn't going to play any other position but DH. Right now, I just feel like it's not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position."

It took a one-on-one meeting with Red Sox owner John Henry to put out the flames, but by that point mutual disaffection may have set in. That mutual disaffection prompted Sunday's shocker of a trade. As the Globe's Peter Abraham reported: "The team's feeling was that a $313.5M contract comes with responsibilities to do what is right for the team and that Devers did not live up to those responsibilities. They had enough and they traded him."

Devers indeed remained in the DH role and, after a slow start to 2025, began putting together what thus far has been one of the most productive campaigns of his career. Now it's the second-place Giants who will benefit from his high-level production as they attempt to fend off the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks in the hotly competitive National League West. The Red Sox, meantime, may be positioned to retool, even coming off a sweep of the rival New York Yankees. Boston stands at 37-36 and in fourth place in the AL East. 

With the Giants, Devers could immediately slide into the DH role or perhaps transition to first base. Whatever the specifics, he'll give the Giants a much-needed injection of power and on-base skills. While the Giants are very much in contention, they're winning despite an offense that ranks 15th in MLB in runs scored and 23rd in OPS. Devers and his star-caliber bat address those deficiencies in a major way, both now and for years to come.

In a compelling coincidence, Devers and the Giants will host the Red Sox for a three-game interleague series that begins on June 20.