A trade request seems unlikely this season, but drama has surrounded Devers a lot to begin the season, especially because he got off to a slow start at the plate at the beginning of the season. If Boston eventually does decide to trade him, could a move to the Los Angeles Dodgers make sense?
Dodgers receive: Rafael Devers
Red Sox receive: Josue De Paula (Dodgers No. 2, MLB No. 35), Alex Freeland (Dodgers No. 4, MLB No. 66), River Ryan (Dodgers No. 9), Hyun-Seok Jang (Dodgers No. 15)
The Dodgers have a surplus of riches. They are championship contenders with a stacked major league roster year in and year out. After all, they did just win the World Series last season. That came after the biggest offseason spending spree in league history, highlighted by the addition of Shohei Ohtani.
The team once again spent big in the offseason, evidenced by the free agency moves for Tanner Scott and Blake Snell. It seems like it will be a tall task for anyone when it comes down to preventing the Dodgers from winning the championship yet again. Despite this, Los Angeles always has a stacked farm system. They have five of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com, meaning they both have plenty of talent for the future and the ammunition to make a blockbuster trade if they so choose.
A move for Devers would certainly fit the description of a massive trade. The Dodgers have a league-leading 26 wins and don’t really need to make a big move, but they have a seemingly unlimited payroll. While far from a hole, their biggest weakness is at third base. Devers would likely welcome a return to his favorite position, and the Dodgers are one of the few teams that might be willing to take on his mega contract.
Devers signed a 10-year, $313 million deal that runs through 2033. Not only are the Dodgers clearly willing to spend more than any other team, but they also need some long-term security at third base. Max Muncy has won two championships and made two All-Star Games with the Dodgers, but he is 34 years old. The incumbent at third base has also struggled this season, as he is only batting .197.
Devers would provide a massive boost to the only place that the Dodgers really need one. With him on the roster, the Dodgers would have arguably the most stacked roster in MLB history.
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The concern here would be that Devers does seem destined for the designated hitter spot at some point. Even if the Dodgers think he is playable at third base for now, his defensive numbers at the position have always been subpar, and he likely won’t improve as he ages. The Dodgers already have a long-term commitment at DH to the best player in baseball, though. That player is, of course, Ohtani. The Dodgers can’t expect Ohtani to pitch and play a position in the field, so they’d have to be okay with Devers’ underwhelming defense at third.
Could history repeat itself with a Rafael Devers trade?
The Red Sox would likely be hesitant to trade another homegrown superstar to the Dodgers, as they got burned the last time that they did so. In 2020, the Red Sox traded Mookie Betts, along with David Price, to the Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong, and Jeters Downs.
Betts was entering his age-27 season at the time, and he has established himself as one of the best players in baseball since the trade. Meanwhile, Verdugo and Downs didn’t amount to much in Boston, and neither is still with the team. Wong is solid as the team’s starting catcher, but he isn’t near the player Betts is.
A Devers trade to Los Angeles would look a lot like history repeating itself, as the third baseman/designated hitter is 28 years old. After a slow start, he has picked things up in a big way on offense. The three-time All-Star already has 206 career home runs.
On the bright side, this would be a huge haul for a player who some think is on a bad contract. The prospect return in this deal would be better than it was for Betts, as Boston would net four of the Dodgers’ best minor leaguers, two of whom are top-100 prospects. The Red Sox already have a surplus of youngsters and enough talent to compete at the major league level now, so this trade would set them up exceptionally well going forward.
Josue De Paula and Alex Freeland would join Roman Anthony, who is arguably the top prospect in baseball, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell as potential future superstars. This trade would also free the Red Sox of Devers’ drama.
However, a trade with Los Angeles would come off as doing a deal with the devil, especially when considering the Betts trade.
