How many times has a player with three All-Star appearances and five seasons with 27+ homers been traded before their 29th birthday? Not many, going all the way back to the first All-Star Game in 1933.
Perhaps calling Sunday night’s blockbuster Major League Baseball’s version of the Luka Doncic trade is a bit of a hyperbole.
But much like the Dallas Mavericks shipping a five-time All-Star to the Los Angeles Lakers in the middle of the season, no one knew the Boston Red Sox’s trade of superstar Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants was imminent.
However, similar to the Doncic deal, it is fair to ask whether we should’ve seen it coming.
While the Mavs had been dropping subtle clues about Doncic’s work ethic and fitness level, the beef between Devers and the Red Sox – including Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow – was much more out in the open (there was drama after signing Alex Bregman in spring training and more after Triston Casas’ season-ending injury).
“Per Red Sox sources: The team’s feeling was that a (10-year, $313.5 million contract) comes with responsibilities to do what is right for the team and that Devers did not live up to those responsibilities,” Boston Globe reporter Peter Abraham wrote on Bluesky.
“The (front office) had enough, and they traded him.”
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2 days ago Mat IssaThe Red Sox acquired left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs and pitching prospect Jose Bello from the Giants. But perhaps most importantly, San Francisco is picking up the remainder of the disgruntled designated hitter’s contract – so some $255 million over the next eight-plus seasons.
And again, like Dallas’ basketball franchise at the time, Boston isn’t out of the playoff chase.
After sweeping the rival New York Yankees over the weekend and beating the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Monday, the Sox (38-36) have won six in a row and are just 5.5 games behind the division-leading Yanks heading into Tuesday’s action. They also have the sixth-highest chance of making the playoffs (44.5%) in the AL, per our projection model.
The Doncic trade has been referred to as the biggest and most shocking move in NBA history. So where does the Devers trade rank among the biggest in MLB history?
Of course, Devers isn’t much of a defender – that was part of his fallout in Boston. And it’s likely he’ll continue to DH while Wilmer Flores moves to first base. But he’s one of the best hitters in baseball with two Silver Slugger Awards and five seasons with 27 or more home runs. After a horrible start, he’s batting .272 with 15 homers and 68 RBIs in 73 games this season.
How many times has a player with three All-Star appearances and five seasons with 27+ homers been traded before their 29th birthday? This is only the seventh time it’s happened since 1933 (when the first All-Star Game took place).
(Since 1933)2018 – Giancarlo Stanton (Traded from the Miami Marlins to New York Yankees)
This trade actually took place in December ahead of the 2018 season. The Marlins did what the Marlins tend to do and dumped the star slugger’s contract on the Yankees for second baseman Starlin Castro and minor leaguers Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers – the cousin of Rafael Devers. The Yankees took on $265 million of Stanton’s remaining $295 million in salary.
2004 – Alex Rodriguez (Traded from the Texas Rangers to New York Yankees)
On Presidents’ Day Weekend in 2004, the Yankees made one of the biggest moves in franchise history by acquiring Rodriguez for Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named who ended up being Joaquin Arias. Interestingly enough when you consider the Devers scenario, Rodriguez agreed to move to third base upon his arrival despite being one of the elite shortstops in the game. The Yanks, of course, already had a guy named Derek Jeter at short.
1992 – Jose Canseco (Traded from the Oakland Athletics to Texas Rangers)
It was the break up of the Bash Brothers. Canseco was actually in the on-deck circle when he learned he was being moved to the Rangers for Ruben Sierra, Jeff Russell, Bobby Witt (father of Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr.) and cash. It was a stunning trade, considering he one of the game’s biggest stars and a big reason why the A’s were one of MLB’s best teams between 1988-90. Just a year earlier, he had led the AL in homers for a second time with 44.
1971 – Dick Allen (Traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to Los Angeles Dodgers)
Shortly after finishing in second place but 14.5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers acquired the Hall of Fame slugger for Ted Sizemore and Bob Stinson on Oct. 5, 1970. Allen hit .295 with 23 homers and 90 RBIs in his one and only season in LA. The Dodgers still finished second but only one game back of the Giants. Allen was shipped again to the Chicago White Sox on Dec. 2, 1971, in exchange for Tommy John. Yes, that Tommy John.
1966 – Orlando Cepeda (Traded from the San Francisco Giants to St. Louis Cardinals)
After a knee injury cut short his 1965 season, the Giants moved the future Hall of Famer to the Cardinals for pitcher Ray Sadecki on May 8, 1966. It’s safe to say it worked out. The Redbirds won the 1967 World Series as Cepeda batted .325 with 25 homers and an NL-best 111 RBIs on the way to being named the first unanimous NL MVP since Carl Hubbell in 1936. Coincidentally, Hubbell’s No. 11 is retired in San Francisco, leading Devers to change to No. 16 with the Giants.
1936 – Jimmie Foxx (Traded from the Philadelphia Athletics to Boston Red Sox)
In the December before the 1936 season, the Red Sox acquired the future Hall of Famer and pitcher Johnny Marcum for Gordon Rhodes, George Savino and $150,000. Foxx was already a two-time MVP at that point, so it wasn’t a welcome move in Philly despite the team’s last-place finish. “The public didn’t seem to realize that you don’t have to have stars to finish last,” said legendary manager Connie Mack, who suffered through 11 more losing seasons after the trade. “If we finished last with Foxx and all those other fellows, what was the point of having them?”
How will we make sense of the Devers trade? It’s been documented from the Red Sox side ad nauseam (including some here). But for the Giants, who are just 2.5 back of the rival Dodgers and have the fifth-highest probability of making the playoffs in the NL (63.6%), it’s a statement that they intend to go for it this season.
What have they been missing? We mentioned Devers’ five 27+ home run seasons, and San Francisco – as a franchise – has only had three such campaigns (Matt Chapman in 2024, Brandon Belt in 2021 and Hunter Pence in 2013) since the end of the Barry Bonds era in 2007.
Devers also ranks 24th in the majors this season with a 162 BIP+ among those with at least 200 plate appearances. BIP+ measures damage done upon contact with the MLB average 100. And it will immediately become the best BIP+ on the Giants.
Matt Chapman (a five-time Gold Glove winner who isn’t moving off third, by the way) is at 156 but currently on the injured list. The Giants haven’t had a qualified player finished with a 162 BIP+ or better since 2022.
This might not be at the level of the Doncic trade, but it’s led to very similar reactions across the league. “Is this trade real?” one AL executive told MLB.com. “Whoa!”
But when you consider Devers’ age and what he’s accomplished to this point, it’s one of baseball’s biggest trades of the past 92 years.
Research support provided by Tom Paquette. For more coverage, follow along on social media on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and X.
Where Does the Rafael Devers Trade Rank Among the Biggest Deals in MLB History? Opta Analyst.
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