Article: Mookie Betts 2.0: Rafael Devers Trade Continues Harrowing Red Sox Tradition

[TedYazPapiMookie]

6 hours ago, king koji said:

Right, and Devers was GIVEN a market-level 313 million dollar Contract by the Organization. I'm sure Anthony and Mayer are quaking right now.

 

 

 

What is your definition of a market-level contract?  Are you saying Devers wasn't overpaid by 5 years and at least $6Million per year?  DH's were making $25Million per year max when Devers got $31Million and Devers only had 5 good productive years left in his career.  Remember, this guy isn't even close to elite.  His BEST year was either 2019 with a 5.4 WAR or a 132 OPS+ or 2022 when he had 4.5 WAR and a 141 OPS+.  Neither year was elite.  Heck Duran had a 8.7 WAR in 2024 and a 131 OPS+ and nobody thinks he's elite.

Mookie at age 23 had 9.8 WAR and 133 OPS+ then two years later had a 10.7 WAR and 186 OPS+.  Now that's elite.  Yet in 2020 Boston was saying no to $36Million a year but they said yes to a guy without any gold gloves who never finished higher than 11th in the MVP race to $31Million a year?  If his market value in 2023 was $313Million then Mookie's would have been over $600 Million because his numbers were that much better considering his defense and his 8.6 WAR and 165 OPS+ in 2023 compared to Devers 3.5 WAR and 126 OPS+.

Face it.  Bloom signed Devers in hopes of saving his job and didn't care if the contract screwed over the Red Sox for a decade because he knew his time was almost up.  Now it's SF's issue and we should all be happy to have passed the entire nugget to SF.

[TedYazPapiMookie]

8 hours ago, Duran Is The Man said:

not exactly. Henry has to pay, what, $25-30 million for Hicks. what a f***ing shitshow.

Betts, Sale and Devers for...

Wong, Downs, Verdugo, Hicks, Harrison, Bello, Tibbs and Grissom. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

The luxury tax annually for the next two years is $10Million on Hicks.  That's below market if the pitching coaches can get him on track as a SP4 or even a late inning right-handed set-up man.  Hicks is a FA in 2028.  If Breslow can't use the $31Million a year for Devers in more productive ways, he should NOT be the GM but so far Breslow has added Crochet which is huge, Bregman which might be even bigger and he's dumped the biggest waste of money on the team.  He's all world right now in my book.  

Next tasks are to dump Yoshida and Story and get his own manager.  If he can accomplish that before 2026 the future will be very bright in Boston.  SF now has the albatross around their neck.

[moonslav59]

Notice how Bogey is rarely mentioned, anymore.

Tracking his OPS....

.939 in '19

.867 in '20

.863 in '21

.833 in '22

.790 in '23

.688 in '24

.625 in '25

To be fair, his OPS+ has only dropped since 118 w BOS in 2022. (110>79>50)

There was a time fans were bummed we traded Beni.

Many were bummed we let Jacoby bolt.

To a lesser extent, some were upset after O'Neill started off 2025 hot. Lots of examples like this one.

 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

16 hours ago, dgalehouse said:

Probably won't have The Bronx at the top of the list either after watching that pathetic performance in Fenway over the weekend.

While it certainly was a poor performance, one team is still in first place, made the WS last year and consistently makes the playoffs.

Big difference.

[Hugh2]

What is market level? one could argue it's exactly what a guy is getting paid in free agency. 

We see time and time again the top elite level bats out earning these "models" Anyone who thinks the Sox can go out and replace Devers level of production by paying a guy $29 million a year is lying to themselves.  Outside of luck, that ain't happening. 

Not saying they didn't have to trade him, obviously the relationship went south and there's blame pie to go around and there's a lot we don't know yet that I'd like to know so I'm not going down that rabbit hole with people yet.  But while the $30 million extra a year does hold significant value to the Sox, in a vacuum that money alone isn't going to replace him. 

[Hugh2]

9 hours ago, TedYazPapiMookie said:

The luxury tax annually for the next two years is $10Million on Hicks.  That's below market if the pitching coaches can get him on track as a SP4 or even a late inning right-handed set-up man.  Hicks is a FA in 2028.  If Breslow can't use the $31Million a year for Devers in more productive ways, he should NOT be the GM but so far Breslow has added Crochet which is huge, Bregman which might be even bigger and he's dumped the biggest waste of money on the team.  He's all world right now in my book.  

Next tasks are to dump Yoshida and Story and get his own manager.  If he can accomplish that before 2026 the future will be very bright in Boston.  SF now has the albatross around their neck.

How do you think we get those guys off our books? You're either eating all the money, or sending a guy with the level of value of Duran.  Which is not realistic.  You probably split the difference and send them a prospect package like Franklin Aria, Jhostynxnon Garcia +15-30 million. 

That's assuming you can find a team that is still willing to take on a lot of money, and is willing to do so, and likes that prospect package.  Same can be said of Yoshida.  This 

I'm not sure how selling off our young assets to clear money out helps us after getting rid of Devers.  It kind of just clears us out and sets us up to make a run in 3-4 years from now instead of in the present.  It also seems pretty irresponsible to get rid of a lot of top prospects to clear out money when we can reset the luxury tax next year, and all those guys would be off the books by the time that 2-3 year reset window comes back around. 

[Bellhorn04]

20 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

What is market level? one could argue it's exactly what a guy is getting paid in free agency. 

We see time and time again the top elite level bats out earning these "models" Anyone who thinks the Sox can go out and replace Devers level of production by paying a guy $29 million a year is lying to themselves.  Outside of luck, that ain't happening. 

Not saying they didn't have to trade him, obviously the relationship went south and there's blame pie to go around and there's a lot we don't know yet that I'd like to know so I'm not going down that rabbit hole with people yet.  But while the $30 million extra a year does hold significant value to the Sox, in a vacuum that money alone isn't going to replace him. 

Oh yes you are. 😀

[mvp 78]

9 hours ago, TedYazPapiMookie said:

The luxury tax annually for the next two years is $10Million on Hicks.  That's below market if the pitching coaches can get him on track as a SP4 or even a late inning right-handed set-up man.  Hicks is a FA in 2028.  If Breslow can't use the $31Million a year for Devers in more productive ways, he should NOT be the GM but so far Breslow has added Crochet which is huge, Bregman which might be even bigger and he's dumped the biggest waste of money on the team.  He's all world right now in my book.  

Next tasks are to dump Yoshida and Story and get his own manager.  If he can accomplish that before 2026 the future will be very bright in Boston.  SF now has the albatross around their neck.

Breslow said in his press conference that Hicks is a reliever. 

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Oh yes you are. 😀

You get me lol

[mvp 78]

Blame Pie:

Breslow 35%

Sam 10%

JH 10%

Cora 25%

Raffy 20%

 

[notin]

14 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Blame Pie:

Breslow 35%

Sam 10%

JH 10%

Cora 25%

Raffy 20%

 

Why so low on Devers?  He was resistant to position changes TWICE, with once being to help out with an injury, and (through his interpreter) was snotty as Hell about it.

Also more blame to Cora for deciding “managing” was not consistent with his current  position title of manager…

[Bellhorn04]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

Why so low on Devers?  He was resistant to position changes TWICE, with once being to help out with an injury, and (through his interpreter) was snotty as Hell about it.

Also more blame to Cora for deciding “managing” was not consistent with his current  position title of manager…

And what do you think Cora did wrong, exactly?

[Hugh2]

25 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Blame Pie:

Breslow 35%

Sam 10%

JH 10%

Cora 25%

Raffy 20%

 

Here's my Blame pie

Devers: 30%

Breslow: 30%

Cora: 30%

F.O. 10%

[notin]

4 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

And what do you think Cora did wrong, exactly?

1.  When Devers brought up that he was promised 3b, Cora didnt address the problem and instead just blamed the guy no longer with the organization.

2.  Cora never asked Devers to play 1b.  Why exactly did he NOT do this? Afraid of another confrontation?

Why is his (lack of) position here defensible in your eyes?

[notin]

4 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Here's my Blame pie

Devers: 30%

Breslow: 30%

Cora: 30%

F.O. 10%

I go 33% equal fault on Devers, Cora and Breslow, and that last 1% is on Old Red…

[Bellhorn04]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

1.  When Devers brought up that he was promised 3b, Cora didnt address the problem and instead just blamed the guy no longer with the organization.

2.  Cora never asked Devers to play 1b.  Why exactly did he NOT do this? Afraid of another confrontation?

Why is his (lack of) position here defensible in your eyes?

I think Cora may have read the situation correctly that the best thing was to try to keep Devers happy as DH and not try to force the 1B thing, which Raffy was obviously resisting. 

I don't call it being afraid, I call it trying to get the best results.  That's Cora's job. 

[Hugh2]

I could be convinced to appropriate more blame to the F.O. but I just can't assign them (putting Breslow into the F.O. discussion) more than Devers.  

We can hypothetically speculate all day if things could have been different if the conversation was different but we don't nor will we ever live in that world. 

Many players in Raffy's position would make that move, he's even saying he would play 1B in SF. 

In the end, I can appreciate as a business owner having a philosophical difference between how I WANT to run a company vs. a set of parameters set by the other guy.  Breslow does not have to abide by the promises made by his predecessor, and if Devers has a problem with that then it's on Bloom OR ownership.  If you got a new boss tomorrow, you can't expect him to uphold promises the other guy made if he's asking you to do something that's within the scope of his power.  Breslow is the head guy, he came in and tried to make the team better. 

I can appreciate as a business owner that when certain situations arise, sometimes the best thing to do is part ways.  I think this is what happened, I think John Henry told Devers in KC that they were going to look to trade him.  It may have even been a very friendly conversation "hey we love you, but if we must part ways then we will trade you to a good team, just keep your mouth shut, play your heart out and we will send you off to a contender" 

[Hugh2]

That's the part that really gets me the most, the fact that he is probably going to end up playing 1B in SF at some point. 

[Bellhorn04]

5 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

That's the part that really gets me the most, the fact that he is probably going to end up playing 1B in SF at some point. 

I don't know why that would matter.

[Hugh2]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I don't know why that would matter.

If he's willing to play 1B, just not in Boston that's a bad look.  He's the highest paid $300 million dollar man who can't put a personal quivel behind him for the best interest of the team? Even if it's true that the situation could have been handled differently there's not way that's not a good look. 

He's definitely saying, I had no problem playing 1B I just didn't want to do it because of the way they asked me in Boston.  He put his quarrels with the FO above the team. 

[Bellhorn04]

1 minute ago, Hugh2 said:

If he's willing to play 1B, just not in Boston that's a bad look.  He's the highest paid $300 million dollar man who can't put a personal quivel behind him for the best interest of the team? Even if it's true that the situation could have been handled differently there's not way that's not a good look. 

He's definitely saying, I had no problem playing 1B I just didn't want to do it because of the way they asked me in Boston.  He put his quarrels with the FO above the team. 

It's so reminiscent of Nomar. 

[mvp 78]

41 minutes ago, notin said:

Why so low on Devers?  He was resistant to position changes TWICE, with once being to help out with an injury, and (through his interpreter) was snotty as Hell about it.

Also more blame to Cora for deciding “managing” was not consistent with his current  position title of manager…

So low? 20% is a lot of pie! 

[notin]

27 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I think Cora may have read the situation correctly that the best thing was to try to keep Devers happy as DH and not try to force the 1B thing, which Raffy was obviously resisting. 

I don't call it being afraid, I call it trying to get the best results.  That's Cora's job. 

So his job is to put the wants of his whiny diva player ahead of the needs of a team that just lost a starter for the season?

[notin]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

So low? 20% is a lot of pie! 

It’s a lot of pumpkin pie.  But if you’re talking pecan pie, it’s not nearly enough…

[mvp 78]

Just now, notin said:

It’s a lot of pumpkin pie.  But if you’re talking pecan pie, it’s not nearly enough…

It's a lot of pie when a lot of people need pie. 

[notin]

15 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It's so reminiscent of Nomar. 

Maybe with the Legend of Nomar.  The whole “sulking in the dugout” thing has been refuted by multiple sources.  And Nomar had no issues playing new positions.  Did you know after leaving Boston, he only played SS in a total of 57 more games?

[notin]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

It's a lot of pie when a lot of people need pie. 

You had 5 pie eaters!  20% is a normal share!

But you even bulked those pastry aficionados. Beyond just assuming hes just guilty of everything, how is Sam 10% at fault here?  Or is that his Default Blame Percentage, or DBP as the kids say?

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

Maybe with the Legend of Nomar.  The whole “sulking in the dugout” thing has been refuted by multiple sources.  And Nomar had no issues playing new positions.  Did you know after leaving Boston, he only played SS in a total of 57 more games?

Sure, but he ONLY played SS in 2004. He needed another offseason to be convinced of his declining skills. The reason he didn't play more SS was because of his constant injuries. 

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, notin said:

But you even bulked that up.  

What are you talking about? I get that you are really pissed at Raffy, but at least be normal for a second. 

[notin]

37 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

That's the part that really gets me the most, the fact that he is probably going to end up playing 1B in SF at some point. 

Ive said that multiple times.  If so, f*** him! What a selfish a-hole…