NEW YORK
—
Yankees
manager Aaron Boone wasn’t as stunned as everyone else Sunday after
Rafael Devers
was a thorn in their side once again and then the centerpiece in one of the most stunning June baseball trades ever.
Devers made it 31 homers in 119 career games against the Yankees when the
Red Sox beat them 2-0
to complete a three-game weekend sweep at Fenway Park, then less than three hours after the final out
the three-time All-Star was dealt
to the San Francisco Giants for a very underwhelming return that included two pitchers with high ERAs and two low-level prospects.
“I think certainly that caught the baseball world a little off guard and everyone’s a little bit stunned,” Boone said before Monday night’s Yankees-Angels’ game, “but when the dust settles, you’re also not stunned just with all the noise around that over the last couple of months.”
Devers argued the Red Sox by initially refusing to move from third base to designated hitter after the Red Sox signed free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who is a much-better defensive player. Then again reluctantly becoming a DH, Dever angered Red Sox management again in May by saying he would play first base after starter Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury.
Fed up, the Red Sox traded Devers and the entire $250 million that remains on his 11-year, $331-million contract extension for left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, who promptly was optioned to Triple-A, plus injured right-hander Jordan Hicks, High-A ball outfielder prospect James Tibbs III and rookie ball pitcher Jose Bello.
The Red Sox got pieces that could help them now and in the future, but parted with a superstar in the prime of his career without getting a sure thing in return.
The Red Sox’ record is just 37-36, but they’ve won five in a row and eight of 10 with two winning series against the Yankees mixed in, the latter a sweep. But now Boston appears to be gearing up for future years instead of potentially adding on before the July 31 trade deadline for a playoff push.
Boone’s take on this shocking development?
“I don’t know, it’s not my area of work,” he said. “Careful what you wish for. You never know how these things shake out and what it means for either team. So that stuff’s got to play out.
“We’ve got the Angels tonight. That’s how I’m looking at it.”
