Breaking down the blockbuster Devers-to-Giants deal

TORONTO — Blockbuster trades in June are rare, as are deals involving $300 million contracts and major moves featuring two contenders.

Combine all of that and you have the stunning trade completed by the Red Sox and Giants Sunday night: Rafael Devers and his $313.5 million contract go to San Francisco while right-hander Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison and prospects James Tibbs and Jose Bello head to Boston.

A move this big has massive implications for the short- and long-term outlooks of both the Red Sox and Giants while also impacting the playoff picture in both leagues.

In a scheduling quirk, those teams will face each other just five days from now in San Francisco. In the meantime, here’s a closer look at the implications of the move:

On the field: A win for the Giants

We’ll get to narratives and future considerations soon, but starting on the field, consider where the Giants were before this trade. As a team, they were right around league average when it comes to scoring runs (14th in MLB). More specifically, their designated hitters ranked toward the bottom of the league in production (91 wRC+, 23rd in MLB).

The addition of Devers, a 28-year-old with 15 home runs and a .905 OPS, represents a massive upgrade here. Hitters this talented rarely become available in their 20s and when they do, the price tends to be exorbitant. Given Devers’ substantial contract and some behind-the-scenes tension over whether he’d play defence in Boston, the Giants got a discount here.

As for positional fit, Matt Chapman can continue handling third once he’s back from the injured list, while Devers can DH or maybe even play first base as the Giants have room at both positions. Regardless of where Devers plays, though, there’s no question San Francisco got the best player in the deal.

Now 41-31, they have a real chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. If they get there, Devers is the kind of bat who can thrive against elite pitching, as evidenced by his eight home runs and .955 OPS in 26 career post-season games.

On the field: Flexibility for the Red Sox — but at a cost

A lifetime .279/.349/.510 hitter who's very much in his prime, Devers remains one of the game's best left-handed power hitters. He's even been more patient than ever this season, with an American League-leading 56 walks.

Offensively, then, there’s no question the Red Sox take a step back here — but they do gain the flexibility to rotate players through the DH spot. That might slow the Jarren Duran trade rumours, as the Red Sox now have room to start Duran, Cedanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu all at once. There’s even a path for Masataka Yoshida to play again — though he’d have to come back from his shoulder injury first.

Hicks has pitched to a 6.47 ERA so far this year, but his fastball still sits 97 m.p.h. and his FIP of 3.59 suggests he's been a little unlucky. Maybe he can help the Red Sox once he returns from the toe injury that currently has him sidelined.

Perhaps more important to the deal is Harrison, a 23-year-old former top prospect who has pitched to a 4.56 ERA in eight big-league appearances this year. While the left-hander’s initially slated for triple-A, he held his own in 24 big-league starts last year and could be called upon as a viable MLB starter when the Red Sox need one.

Off the field: Posey makes his mark

It’s been less than a year since the Giants replaced Farhan Zaidi with Buster Posey atop their baseball operations department, and it hasn’t taken long for the seven-time all-star to make his mark.

Posey was reportedly the driving force behind the extension that kept Chapman off the open market, he signed Willy Adames for $182 million and now Devers is on his way to San Francisco. A new core is emerging in San Francisco — though the cost is substantial.

There's approximately $250 million remaining on Devers' contract between now and 2033, but evidently the teams agreed he’s worth more than what he’s being paid or else the Red Sox would be kicking in money and the Giants wouldn’t be sending good players back to Boston.

Some executives believe the Red Sox did well to get out from under this commitment, reasoning that it’s a big commitment for a DH, especially one whose leadership has been called into question by people close to the Red Sox. At the same time, this wasn’t a salary dump, and it shows that mega contracts are still appealing to certain big-market teams as long as the players in question perform between the lines.

Off the field: Breslow acts boldly

Executives describe Red Sox GM Craig Breslow as someone who’s unafraid of making mistakes, and committed to following his process even if it leads to unpopular decisions. This trade appears to be a perfect example of that approach.

Now granted, it might not work. Breslow’s already traded away one future Hall of Famer, swapping Chris Sale for Vaughn Grissom before last season in a deal that looks like a massive loss for the Red Sox. It’s possible Devers is another Hall of Famer in the making, and there will be times the Red Sox miss his bat.

But regardless of where it leads, it’s more clear than ever than Breslow’s willing to be bold. And within the Boston clubhouse, there will be zero doubt about whether he has the support of ownership to make whatever moves he deems necessary — and what might happen if you don’t act like a team player in Boston.