A Year After Trading Rafael Devers Boston Still Needs A Third Baseman
Key takeaways
- Sports Money A Year After Trading Rafael Devers Boston Still Needs A Third Baseman By Dan Freedman,
- Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
- Rafael Devers has not been what the San Francisco Giants hoped he'd be when they acquired him from the Red Sox last season; and the Red Sox still need a third baseman.
Sports Money A Year After Trading Rafael Devers Boston Still Needs A Third Baseman By Dan Freedman,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dan Freedman is lawyer and IBWAA member who writes about baseball.Follow Author Jun 22, 2026, 04:59pm EDTSummary One year after the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, the deal's aftermath reveals a series of missteps for Boston. The Giants acquired Devers, taking on his massive contract after failing to land other stars. In return, the Red Sox received Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello. However, Boston subsequently traded Harrison, now a Cy Young contender for the Brewers, for underperforming infielder Caleb Durbin. Tibbs III was sent to the Dodgers for Dustin May, who failed in Boston but thrives elsewhere. Hicks was dumped, leaving only Bello in Single-A. This leaves the Red Sox in a difficult position, potentially eyeing Giants' third baseman Matt Chapman, a move rich with irony given their past trade.
Rafael Devers has not been what the San Francisco Giants hoped he'd be when they acquired him from the Red Sox last season; and the Red Sox still need a third baseman. (Photo by Darren Yamashita/MLB Photos via Getty Images)MLB Photos via Getty ImagesWe have just passed the one-year anniversary of the monumental deal that sent Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants. The trade shocked the industry for various reasons, including the speed and timing.