While the Red Sox decision to trade Rafael Devers appeared abrupt to the outside baseball world, it may have actually have come at the end of a longer process than initially believed.
In an extensive new report from Boston Globe Red Sox reporter Peter Abraham, the deterioration in the two sides’ relationship began in spring training. In fact, the first attempts to trade Devers also trace back several months.
Ultimately, Boston dealt the star slugger to the Giants in a controversial trade in exchange for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison as well as prospects James Tibbs and Jose Bello.