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Devers was now a San Francisco Giant.
The trade made no sense at the time. While getting out from under eight years at over $30 million annually entirely is enticing, the return still felt light. Going back to Boston was left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, and prospects James Tibbs III and Jose Bello.
The Red Sox appeared not to miss Devers as they made their first postseason since 2021, but even with Alex Bregman returned from the injured list, Anthony missed the Wild Card round; as did Mayer. The Red Sox felt two bats short all of September (99 team wRC+), then were the worst offense in the playoffs.
But that trade is still complicated to this day, so let’s talk about why.
The Ever-Growing Trade Tree
As mentioned, the Red Sox offloaded Devers’ entire contract to the Giants. In return, they got Harrison — a former top pitching prospect — and the right-handed flamethrower in Hicks as pitchers in the deal.
Hicks came to Boston already hurt and having disappointed in his time as a starter with the Giants. Breslow praised Hicks coming over, despite the 6.47 ERA, mentioning him as someone with success as a high-leverage reliever. However, nothing clicked with him in Boston, as an 8.20 ERA in 21 outings ballooned his season mark to 6.95.
He eventually went back on the IL in early September and never pitched for the Red Sox again. Then, owed north of $10 million per year for 2026 and 2027, was traded alongside pitching prospect David Sandlin and cash. The return was some salary relief but at the expense of Sandlin, who’s seen his fastball reach triple digits in the minors.
Harrison, the prize of the deal, also found himself in a recent trade. He looked alright in 12 innings for the Red Sox, posting a 3.00 ERA and 2.47 FIP, but now he’s a Milwaukee Brewer. The Red Sox traded him, pitching prospect Shane Drohan and middle infielder David Hamilton for infielder Caleb Durbin and utilitymen Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler.