Twenty-four hours after pulling off one of the most shocking trades in Red Sox history, Craig Breslow made a claim that was quite hard to believe. As he explained why the club traded superstar Rafael Devers to the Giants, he stuck his neck out with a prediction on what was to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the season,\u201d Breslow said, to a group of nearly 100 reporters circling like piranhas on a Zoom call on the night of June 16, \u201cI think we could look back and say we\u2019ve won more games than we otherwise would have because of the way that this roster is now able to come together.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than three months later, the Red Sox are postseason-bound, having gone 51-36 since the Devers trade, which came hours after the club climbed to a game above .500 with a June 15 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park. Boston clinched its postseason berth by beating the Tigers on a Ceddanne Rafaela walk-off triple on Friday night. The Red Sox will play meaningful baseball in October for the first time since 2021.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s impossible, of course, to know what Boston\u2019s final record would have been had Devers remained on the roster. Preseason win total projections had them right around the range in which they\u2019ll finish, a number somewhere between 87 and 90. Looking back, though, Breslow says he was confident making the claim, not because of some wake-up call caused by the Devers trade or the removal of a distraction in the clubhouse. The Red Sox truly believed their roster \u2014 which had added rookie Roman Anthony six days before trading Devers \u2014 would be more functional.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that was just confidence and optimism in the players that were going to step up and the way the roster was going to come together, and the way Alex (Cora) was going to be able to use it to platoon, keep guys fresh and maybe run the bases a little bit more aggressively,\u201d Breslow said last week. \u201cThat\u2019s not to take anything away from the talent that is Raffy Devers. I just think we were trying to solve for winning the most games and thought it was the path to be able to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/b><\/p>\n
The week that changed the Red Sox\u2019 season began with a homer barrage in the Bronx on June 8, in which Boston won its first series of the Yankees with five blasts in an 11-7 win. The club returned to Fenway for a key six-game homestand, hovering below .500 at 32-35. The Sox arrived in Boston, after a Sunday Night Baseball win in the Bronx, with just an 18.8% chance to reach the postseason, according to FanGraphs<\/a>.<\/p>\n As players trickled into Fenway for a late report time, it became apparent to team decision-makers that right fielder Wilyer Abreu wasn\u2019t 100%. He had tweaked his oblique three days earlier, and despite appearing as a pinch-hitter in the next two games, was feeling increasingly worse Monday afternoon. Breslow popped his head out of the home clubhouse at Fenway Park shortly after 3:45 p.m. ET with a sheepish, knowing grin. The club had decided it was time to promote Anthony, <\/p>\n Five minutes later, video surfaced from Worcester. Anthony and his dark gray BMW were on the way to Fenway Park and he\u2019d be in the lineup that night against the Rays. Devers hit second and Anthony fifth. It was easy for Red Sox fans to dream on that offensive duo crushing opposing pitching for a decade to come.<\/p>\n Behind the scenes, though, with Devers\u2019 feud with management growing so tense that principal owner John Henry had to fly to Kansas City for a private meeting with him less than 24 hours after the slugger aired out Breslow and went public with his displeasure over being asked to switch positions for a second time in three months, trade talks were underway. The Braves, Padres and Blue Jays all were involved. But by the weekend, the Giants had emerged as the most aggressive.<\/p>\n There were whispers as early as Friday, ahead of the series opener against the Yankees, that something big was happening behind the scenes. Cora, very uncharacteristically, canceled his weekly Friday night appearance on NESN\u2019s pregame show. There were meetings he couldn\u2019t miss. As the Red Sox won Friday, and again Saturday, the front office was hard at work orchestrating a move that would shake the baseball industry.<\/p>\n Yes, Breslow said, it was the most tense week of his year, though he joked that he reserves the right to change the answer come October.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was stressful,\u201d he acknowledged. \u201cI understood the implications of that and I knew that there was a chance this was going to go very differently.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew it was a significant decision for the organization, and one that was going to set us on a particular path. That path was going to be one that didn\u2019t have Raffy in it.\u201d<\/p>\n By Sunday night, after the Sox beat the Yankees for the third straight game \u2014 a win in which Devers homered off New York ace Max Fried \u2014 it was decision time. As the club boarded a flight to Seattle to begin a long West Coast trip, everything seemed normal. Minutes went by and members of the traveling party started wondering why they weren\u2019t yet in the air. Then, assistant general manager Paul Toboni came down the aisle, informed Devers a deal was in place and thanked him for his service with the Red Sox. As Devers walked off the plane, veteran leaders gathered near the rear of the aircraft, quietly hatching plans for how to move forward, well out of earshot of shellshocked teammates.<\/p>\n Some players understood trading Devers with the backdrop of the drama that had encircled the team since February. Others disagreed with the decision. It was inarguable, though, that, at least on paper, the Red Sox\u2019 chances of meaningfully competing in 2025 had taken a hit.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely disheartening when you trade a guy like Rafael Devers,\u201d said veteran reliever Liam Hendriks. \u201cNothing can make up for that, no matter what team you are. There\u2019s no team that\u2019s better without Rafael Devers in the lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n In different circumstances, the Red Sox might have taken Devers across the country with them and then had him find his own way from Seattle to San Francisco. But a messy divorce culminated in an awkward ending<\/a> that no one was satisfied with. Devers, now a Giant, took a taxi cab back to Fenway, where clubhouse attendants had pulled his Land Rover to the Jersey Street curb and had loaded it with the contents of his now-former locker. <\/p>\n It was somewhat fitting, then, that video of Devers pulling out of Fenway for the last time went viral, much like Anthony\u2019s arrival a few days earlier.<\/p>\n As Devers headed west on his own, so did Breslow, who flew to Seattle the following day to attend a series he had been planning to watch from home. He figured players might have questions. He tried to prepare answers. He cared little that he had put his legacy on the line in similar fashion to how his predecessor, Chaim Bloom, had by trading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers five years earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you start to think about the magnitude of the decision, it could potentially impede your ability to make what you think is the right decision or the best decision,\u201d Breslow said, looking back. \u201cThat\u2019s not to say that I should be flippant about making a decision of that magnitude. If you believe a decision is right, no matter how hard it is, no matter how much scrutiny it\u2019s gonna face, you have to be able to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/b><\/p>\n Anthony and Devers, long thought of franchise cornerstones for years to come, were in the Red Sox\u2019 lineup together for just four games before the trade. Anthony moved into a prime locker in the home clubhouse, situated between Jarren Duran and Alex Bregman, across from where Devers had been for years. Jordan Hicks, the only big leaguer acquired in from the Giants, settled into Devers\u2019 spot. A changing of the guard was underway.<\/p>\n \u201cYou go from the shock of trading a franchise icon into someone who, arguably, should have been here a lot earlier in Roman,\u201d said Hendriks.<\/p>\n It was unrealistic to think Anthony, a 21-year-old who was just 1-for-17 as a big leaguer at the time Devers was dealt, would be able to replace Devers\u2019 impact in the lineup. Breslow and his lieutenants knew that, no matter how much Anthony had shown them as a can\u2019t-miss prospect in the minors. As of June 16, though, Anthony had something he didn\u2019t while Devers was on the roster: a much larger opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way that we got there is that Willy was on the IL, Raffy was DHing. If you then fast-forward and think about how all those pieces would come together, it does just become a more difficult roster to navigate (for opposing teams),\u201d Breslow said.<\/p>\n With Abreu expected back soon, the Red Sox were figuring out how Anthony, Abreu, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Devers and, eventually, Masataka Yoshida, could co-exist on a roster that had three starting outfield spots and one DH spot. Sending Anthony down when Abreu returned appeared to be on the table. The Devers deal, while very much about the fact the team and player \u201ccouldn\u2019t find alignment\u201d in the final months of his tenure, was also about clearing the deck for Anthony. <\/p>\n The rookie was on the bench for the final two games the Sox played with Devers. He started the next 62 of 65, including 45 in the outfield, before straining his oblique on a swing in a September 2 game.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we had talked about was some flexibility in the roster, a little more functionality and the chance to move guys through different positions and free up some opportunities for some young players to emerge,\u201d Breslow said. \u201cWe talked about this dynamic style of play we were looking to embrace.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody scripts out these things. You\u2019re trying to react to the information you have in the moment at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n From June 16 on, Anthony catalyzed the Red Sox\u2019 offense, hitting .308 with eight homers, 17 doubles, 48 runs, 29 RBIs, a .412 on-base percentage and an .899 OPS. Across the country, Devers hit .253 with 15 homers, 12 doubles, 37 runs, 38 RBIs, a .358 on-base percentage and an .840 OPS in that 65-game span. It\u2019s inarguable that Boston\u2019s offense would have been better if the Sox had found a way to have both Anthony and Devers in it. But with that possibility gone, the Sox found a way to replace Devers\u2019 production almost immediately with Anthony, even if those making the calls didn\u2019t have expectations that the impact would come so soon.<\/p>\n \u201cRoman is obviously a great player. He\u2019s got really unique poise and maturity and self-assuredness,\u201d Breslow said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think anybody would say, after watching someone play in the big leagues for five days, that they\u2019ve got a full appreciation for what somebody is capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n The Red Sox, after a strange, bumpy trip west that included a reunion with Devers and a 3-6 record, took off in July, winning 10 in a row before the All-Star break and going 17-7 in the month. The postseason came into focus.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a very odd time to be around because of obvious reasons, but the guys at the time said, \u2018We have a job to do.\u2019 We can\u2019t sit there and dwell on it,\u201d Hendriks said. \u201cIt almost brought in that determination, a \u2018We\u2019re going to prove you wrong\u2019 kind of thing. That one thing has definitely helped galvanize the clubhouse together.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/b><\/p>\n As Breslow and the Red Sox celebrate while soaked in champagne at Fenway on Friday night, they find themselves right about where preseason prognostications expected them to be<\/a>, albeit in a much different way. It would have been hard to believe a team that got very little from expected key contributors like Tanner Houck, Triston Casas, Kutter Crawford and Masataka Yoshida, traded Devers and then played almost the entire the final month without rookies Anthony, Mayer or Kristian Campbell on the roster would sniff 90 wins. On the flip side, few would have expected Aroldis Chapman to be as dominant as he has been, Trevor Story to rebound in such a profound way, Carlos Narv\u00e1ez to emerge as one of the better all-around catchers in baseball or Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito to spend the summer competing to be the true No. 2 behind ace Garrett Crochet.<\/p>\n The shape-shifting Red Sox, due to injuries, rookie promotions and yes, blockbuster trades, have been forced to change their identity countless times since they kicked off the season at Globe Life Field on March 27. A poor start didn\u2019t sink them. Neither did Casas\u2019 season-ending injury or the Devers trade. Not an underwhelming trade deadline, either, or Anthony\u2019s injury, which will likely sideline him for at least the first couple weeks of the playoffs. <\/p>\n The plucky Red Sox are playoff-bound not because everything has gone right. In fact, they\u2019ll be playing next week in large part because of how they responded to what went wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s interesting because I think it probably forces you to ask the question of, \u2018What is the identity of a team?\u2019\u201d Breslow wondered aloud. \u201cIs it the strength of the best player? Is it a personality? But what this team has been from Day 1 is resilient.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we\u2019ve got some guys in the middle of the order that hit the ball out of the park, we\u2019re going to be a power-driven team. When some of those guys are hurt and on the IL, we\u2019ve got to figure out other ways to win games. Sometimes, it\u2019s hitting the ball out of the park, sometimes it\u2019s situational hitting, sometimes it\u2019s baserunning, sometimes it\u2019s hitting. Is that a feature or a bug?<\/p>\n \u201cThe players and the staff deserve a ton of credit for embracing the challenge that was in front of them and going out, playing well, winning a bunch of baseball games and putting us in a position in late September to be playing meaningful games.\u201d<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Twenty-four hours after pulling off one of the most shocking trades in Red Sox history, Craig Breslow made…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":258136,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[590,591,51,50,52],"class_list":{"0":"post-258135","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-american-league","9":"tag-baseball","10":"tag-headlines","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-top-stories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115275029803329249","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}