When the Red Sox shipped Rafael Devers to San Francisco last June, it marked the end of an era in Boston – and the start of a new challenge for the front office. On Sunday, team president and CEO Sam Kennedy was asked the obvious question: how do you replace a bat like Devers in the lineup?
“You can’t replace someone like Raffy,” Kennedy said plainly. And frankly, he’s right.
Devers wasn’t just a middle-of-the-order presence – he was the engine that made Boston’s offense go. A three-time All-Star and a key piece of the 2018 World Series title run, Devers brought a rare combination of power and consistency from the left side of the plate. Over nearly a decade in Boston, he became a fixture at third base and one of the most feared hitters in the American League.
But things changed fast in 2025. On June 15, the Red Sox pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal, sending Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a move that caught most of the baseball world off guard.
In return, Boston received a mix of present and future help: lefty starter Kyle Harrison, hard-throwing reliever Jordan Hicks, and two promising prospects in outfielder James Tibbs III and infielder Jose Bello. The trade also cleared the books of the remaining years on Devers’s massive 10-year, $313.5 million extension.
The move wasn’t just about baseball – there were reports of friction behind the scenes – but on the field, it left a gaping hole in Boston’s lineup. And as Kennedy acknowledged, that’s not a hole you simply plug with one player.
Since joining the Giants, Devers has been settling into life on the West Coast. He played 90 games for San Francisco in 2025, posting a .236/.347/.460 slash line with 20 home runs and 51 RBIs across 395 plate appearances.
The average dipped from his Boston days, but the power and plate discipline remained. A 130 OPS+ tells the story: Devers was still well above league average, even in a new league and ballpark.
Now, with a full offseason and spring training under his belt, Devers is gearing up for his first full campaign in orange and black. He’s already been spotted in early workouts and BP sessions in Scottsdale, looking locked in and ready for the next chapter of his career. The Giants are banking on him being a cornerstone of their lineup for years to come – and with that contract running through 2033, they’ve made it clear he’s a long-term piece.
For Boston, the focus shifts to finding offense in other ways. There’s no one-for-one replacement for a bat like Devers, but the return package gives them a mix of immediate pitching help and high-upside prospects. It’s a pivot – not a rebuild – and how the Red Sox navigate this transition will go a long way in shaping their identity moving forward.
As for Devers, he’s no longer the face of Fenway, but he’s still one of the premier power bats in the game. The jersey may have changed, but the swing – and the threat it brings – hasn’t gone anywhere.
