In less than a year, the Boston Red Sox have managed to lose not one, but two superstar infielders who were already under their control. Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman—both cornerstone players—slipped away in moves that have left the organization looking directionless and the fanbase furious.
It didn’t have to be this way. There was a realistic path where Devers stayed at third base and Bregman shifted to second, forming one of the best infields in baseball. Instead, during spring training, the Red Sox informed Devers that Bregman would take over third and that he would be moving to first base or DH. That decision set off a chain reaction that ended with both players gone.
The Devers Trade Shocker
On June 15, Boston sent Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal. The return: Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, Jose Bello, and 2024’s 13th overall pick James Tibbs III. Kyle Harrison is the only piece with clear upside, but the rest of the package looks underwhelming—especially when the Giants absorbed more than $250 million of Devers’ remaining contract.
Giants president Buster Posey acknowledged the cost: “Kyle Harrison is a guy that has tremendous upside… To give up a guy like that is not an easy thing for us.” The optics were brutal: Boston essentially paid San Francisco to take one of the game’s best hitters off their books.
Devers went on to post a monster 2025 season across both teams: .252/.372/.479, 35 HR, 109 RBI, 33 doubles, 112 walks, 140 OPS+, and 4.1 WAR in 163 games. He was even better in his 73 games with Boston (151 OPS+).
Bregman Follows Him Out the Door
After the Devers trade, Bregman became the undisputed third baseman and a clubhouse leader. Many assumed Boston would lock him up long-term. Instead, on January 10—during Fenway Fest—news broke that Bregman had opted out and signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, complete with deferrals and a full no-trade clause.
Boston reportedly offered $165 million with deferrals but refused the no-trade protection. Bregman took the better offer and left.
Red Sox podcaster Steve Perrault summed it up perfectly on X: “The Red Sox signed Rafael Devers to a $331M deal. The Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a $120M deal. The Red Sox traded Rafael Devers… and SF ate $251M of that deal. Alex Bregman opted out and signed with the Cubs. The Red Sox didn’t pay $80M of that deal… Back to Stage 1. John Henry is pumped.”
Jared Carrabis added: “The trust that the fans were starting to regain here with the Red Sox, it’s all gone now.”
The Spending Defense That Doesn’t Add Up
At Fenway Fest, CEO Sam Kennedy pushed back against criticism of the team’s spending habits, pointing to nearly $500 million in recent commitments—Garrett Crochet ($170M), Kristian Campbell ($60M), Roman Anthony ($130M), and payroll added via trades.
The catch? All those big extensions went to players under 30. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have repeatedly avoided the top tier of free agency (Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber) and instead dipped into their farm system for veterans like Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, and Willson Contreras.
What Now?
The Red Sox are suddenly scrambling to fill massive holes at third base (and potentially elsewhere). Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic outlined the options on January 12:
Bo Bichette as the new primary target (projected $200M+)
Eugenio Suárez (linked for months, projected 3 years/$69M, but with a .246 career average and 27.5% K rate)
Trade candidates like Isaac Paredes (Astros) or Brendan Donovan (Cardinals)
Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger appear off the table.
Boston now faces an uncomfortable choice: either open the checkbook for a big free agent or gut the farm system further in trades—just to field a competitive roster in 2026.
However this ends, the Devers-Bregman saga has become a glaring example of self-inflicted chaos. In less than 365 days, the Red Sox turned a potential franchise cornerstone duo into a full-blown crisis.
(And that’s without even mentioning the Mookie Betts trade.)
