Devers Trade looks fantastic now....

[bobo52]

Trading Devers and his $29 million a year contracts looks like an excellent move with him having a mediocre age 29 year with the Giants  - currently posting a  786 OPS and 1.6 WAR.  The real trade was to use the Devers money to pick up Wilson Contreras for $18 million a year (for 3 years) who is more productive at almost half the cost with a .912 OPS and 4.0 WAR.  In addition the Red Sox  got Kyle Harrison in the Devers trade -  who (along with Shane Drohan) was traded for Caleb Durbin (.729 OPS and 3.3 WAR) , Andrew Monasterio  (.776, 1.5) and Anthony Siegler  (.708, .5).  

Receiving anything back in return - was a bonus - the real win was unloading the big-money contract that will pay a declining skill hitter that we would have paid for 8 more years - until he is 37 in 2034.    Of course Durbin on his own looks to be better than Devers right now and they pay him $800K and have 2 more years of team control.

So to recap:  We got Contreras, Monasterio and Durbin who now cost us under $20  million a year combined  - and the Red Sox gave up Devers and his $29 million a year contracts.  

Devers contract made him replaceable by a highly paid free agent - he just wasnt worth it.  Team control and good contracts are a necessity to build a winner.  If you throw money in bad contracts away to keep a star on the decline the team will suffer.  

Breslow gets an Aplus for this move now that we can look at other in hindsight.  

[notin]

I like the Devers trade but I am not so sure he’s declining already at age 29.  There’s a difference between declining and having a bad year…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

I like the Devers trade but I am not so sure he’s declining already at age 29.  There’s a difference between declining and having a bad year…

He's not declining in San Fran; when they ask him to play 1B, he says yes.

But if he was only a DH, he'd be reclining... between at bats.

[dannycater]

No, the Sox still have a major void at DH--even now with Yoshida on the shelf...yes lucked out in another trade with Milwaukee to get 3 Sox contributors, 2 starters...but in a million years that was still a bad trade to me. Devers 81 games at Fenway means more home runs (they need power,  they have basically won due to power with Abreu and Contreras and Durbin big bombs of course), more doubles. Fenway adds to Devers stats to me.  The Sox have a struggling All-Star catcher now and lucked on the Contreras addition. I'd take Devers back in a milisecond.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, notin said:

I like the Devers trade but I am not so sure he’s declining already at age 29.  There’s a difference between declining and having a bad year…

Agreed. I will add this though....

OPS+

151 in '24

130 in '25

120 in '26

While 130 is still impressive, it was a decline, too- making this 2 years in a row.

BTW, 130 and 120 are his 6th and 7th worst seasons out of 8 with 400+ PAs.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, dannycater said:

No, the Sox still have a major void at DH--even now with Yoshida on the shelf...yes lucked out in another trade with Milwaukee to get 3 Sox contributors, 2 starters...but in a million years that was still a bad trade to me. Devers 81 games at Fenway means more home runs (they need power,  they have basically won due to power with Abreu and Contreras and Durbin big bombs of course), more doubles. Fenway adds to Devers stats to me.  The Sox have a struggling All-Star catcher now and lucked on the Contreras addition. I'd take Devers back in a milisecond.

A Monasterio & Romy platoon might come close to .786.

Maybe White & Jones can pitch in to boost it upwards.

(Notice I did not say Duran or Anthony.)

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, bobo52 said:

Receiving anything back in return - was a bonus -

I was shocked we got anything back.  If Posey had countered with, 'we'll take his contract, but you'll get nothing in return', is there any chance Breslow walks away?  IMHO, just needed to dump Devers at any reasonable cost, including picking up some salary.  I don't think there was a chance of Devers staying.

[notin]

6 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I was shocked we got anything back.  If Posey had countered with, 'we'll take his contract, but you'll get nothing in return', is there any chance Breslow walks away?  IMHO, just needed to dump Devers at any reasonable cost, including picking up some salary.  I don't think there was a chance of Devers staying.

Well, we kinda did take back some salary in the form of Jordan Hicks.  But that deal was a bit small abd I was surprised about the inclusions of Harrison and Tibbs…

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, dannycater said:

lucked out in another trade with Milwaukee ... and Durbin big bombs of course), more doubles. ... lucked on the Contreras addition.

Interesting that you mentioned luck twice, but glad to see you praise Durbin as Devers replacement.

[JoeBrady]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

Well, we kinda did take back some salary in the form of Jordan Hicks.  But that deal was a bit small abd I was surprised about the inclusions of Harrison and Tibbs…

I think Hicks should've been the minimum in order to take Devers salary.  And, FWIW, Hicks has a 2.10 over his last 33 games.  I think he was finished in SF, but he still had some value in reverting to his previous form.

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, notin said:

I like the Devers trade but I am not so sure he’s declining already at age 29.  There’s a difference between declining and having a bad year…

IMO, his YTD numbers are impacted by his slow start, and he always starts slow.  Between that, and playing in SF, I don't think he is far off his usual numbers.

[moonslav59]

11 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

Interesting that you mentioned luck twice, but glad to see you praise Durbin as Devers replacement.

Including Durbin in evaluating the Devers trade is legit, since Harrison was the major piece bring Durbin to BOS.

Now, we need to talk Monasterio & Seagler, too. We also got Ziehl for Hicks (and Sandlin.) Count Tibbs (and Erhard) for Dustin May, if you wish, too. I won't.

In a way, we can combine several trades into this:

Devers, Drohan, Sandlin & DHam

for

Durbin, Monasterio, Seagler, Ziehl and a ton of salary relief, which we all knows will affect future JH spending allotments.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

IMO, his YTD numbers are impacted by his slow start, and he always starts slow.  Between that, and playing in SF, I don't think he is far off his usual numbers.

True, but OPS+ adjusts for home and away fields.

[bobo52]

 

Quote

No, the Sox still have a major void at DH--even now with Yoshida on the shelf...yes lucked out in another trade with Milwaukee to get 3 Sox contributors, 2 starters...but in a million years that was still a bad trade to me. Devers 81 games at Fenway means more home runs (they need power,  they have basically won due to power with Abreu and Contreras and Durbin big bombs of course), more doubles. Fenway adds to Devers stats to me.  The Sox have a struggling All-Star catcher now and lucked on the Contreras addition. I'd take Devers back in a milisecond.

  If you have Devers - you have to pay him $29 million a year until he is 37.  There is no money for Contreras this year and you dont get Durbin and Monasterio.  Nobody at this point would trade Durbin for Devers - never mind taking on  $29 million a year until he is 37.  Durbin is getting paid $800K this year.  This trade was a home run and offloading the Devers contract is one of the best parts.  Good point by the commenter saying we had to eat the Hicks contract but obviously chump change compared to the Devers liability.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, bobo52 said:

  If you have Devers - you have to pay him $29 million a year until he is 37.  There is no money for Contreras this year and you dont get Durbin and Monasterio.  Nobody at this point would trade Durbin for Devers - never mind taking on  $29 million a year until he is 37.  Durbin is getting paid $800K this year.  This trade was a home run and offloading the Devers contract is one of the best parts.  Good point by the commenter saying we had to eat the Hicks contract but obviously chump change compared to the Devers liability.

The Devers money is more like no Suarez or Gray, and then no major signing, when their time is up, too.

You could say Suarez & Gray, as Suarez is paid $7M this year and Gray $21M. Gray's deal drops away after 2026, leaving Suarez to make up for the Devers money for a few more years. Then, more money to spend after his deal is up and Devers still has a few years of top pay left.

Durbin, Suarez, Gray, Monasterio & Seigler and a future signing (+Ziehl) for Devers, Drohan and DHam)

[notin]

6 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Including Durbin in evaluating the Devers trade is legit, since Harrison was the major piece bring Durbin to BOS.

Now, we need to talk Monasterio & Seagler, too. We also got Ziehl for Hicks (and Sandlin.) Count Tibbs (and Erhard) for Dustin May, if you wish, too. I won't.

In a way, we can combine several trades into this:

Devers, Drohan, Sandlin & DHam

for

Durbin, Monasterio, Seagler, Ziehl and a ton of salary relief, which we all knows will affect future JH spending allotments.

If you say Devers money went to Contreras - a point made by the OP that could be easily contended but for now, let’s roll with it - than the Sox traded Devers for their entire infield during that 32-5 run...

[moonslav59]

42 minutes ago, notin said:

If you say Devers money went to Contreras - a point made by the OP that could be easily contended but for now, let’s roll with it - than the Sox traded Devers for their entire infield during that 32-5 run...

Stunning.