The Boston Red Sox made a huge splash by signing infielder Alex Bregman to a $120 million deal. However, incumbent star third baseman Rafael Devers isn’t enthused about possibly having to change positions.
Could his days in Beantown be numbered? If so, what are the chances the New York Mets could be a potential trade destination?
Devers has been a consistent producer at the plate for Boston throughout most of his big-league career. Since 2021, he’s won two Silver Slugger Awards, been selected to three All-Star Games, and finished within the top 20 of the American League MVP Award voting four times.
He’s posted a .873 OPS during this period while averaging 32 home runs, 37 doubles, 96 RBI and 91 runs scored for the Red Sox. With Devers potentially being unhappy with what could transpire on Boston’s roster in the coming days and weeks, could he get traded?
That seems unlikely, but that won’t stop the rumors from flying. Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer proposed the following hypothetical trade between Boston and New York:
- Mets receive: third baseman Rafael Devers
- Red Sox receive: outfielder Starling Marte, right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat, and outfielder Drew Gilbert
“It would be an imperfect fit, as Devers taking over at third would force Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso, and Jesse Winker to share first base and the DH spot,” Rymer wrote. “And yet, one of those guys (i.e., Winker) should be a bench jockey anyway. There’s also the reality that, even with a $331 million payroll, the Mets project as a second-fiddle National League contender to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies.
“Adding Devers would upend that equation, with the added bonus of setting the Mets up nicely for beyond 2025. He, Vientos, Juan Soto, and Francisco Lindor would be aboard for the long haul.”
Devers is in the middle of a 10-year, $313.5 million deal that would have him under team control through 2033.
