The Red Sox’ odds of replacing Rafael Devers’ production at the plate appear slim moving forward.
But after making the shocking call to trade their star slugger to the Giants on Sunday, could Boston use that added fiscal flexibility to retool its roster on the fly?
While the Red Sox’s return from the Giants — pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, along with prospects James Tibbs and Jose Bello — may not steal headlines, Boston does have a significant amount of money coming off the books as a result of Sunday’s deal.
As part of the trade, San Francisco is assuming the remaining $254 million balance of the 11-year, $331 million contract Devers signed with the Red Sox in January 2023.