The Boston Red Sox swept the New York Yankees at Fenway Park to get within a half-game of a wild card spot. However, they quickly dampened the mood among Red Sox fans by trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.
The Red Sox finally looked to be turning things around, but made one of the most surprising trades in recent memory. However, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, they are not going to be sellers at the trade deadline.
The Red Sox managed to dump the remainder of Devers’ 10-year, $313 million contract on the Giants. They saved more than $270 million by trading Devers. They now have more money to work with in free agency and at the trade deadline.
“The Devers deal opens the door for a major trade deadline addition of a controllable, high-dollar player and a high-ranking source indicated Sunday that the Red Sox, at 37-36 after a big weekend sweep of the Yankees, still wholeheartedly intend to buy at the trade deadline and shop aggressively,” wrote Cotillo. “That, obviously, could change with a bad few weeks in the wake of the Devers move. For now, though, the club’s eyes are on additions.”
The Red Sox are likely not going to find a player like Devers on the trade block. However, they have an array of young players they think highly of, and without Devers occupying the designated hitter spot, they can get them all in the lineup. The team could rely on their young players and target starting pitchers at the trade deadline.
The Red Sox’s young core could set them up to compete for years to come, and with their sudden financial freedom, they are not bound to just rentals at the deadline. However, they still need to be careful, knowing Alex Bregman will likely opt out and seek a new contract in the winter.
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