The trade of Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants caught many by surprise, especially knowing he’s a player who delivers offensively and perhaps faced an less-than-ideal atmosphere within the organization.
Now, we’ll see the Dominican on the West Coast trying to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that, as it turns out, was among those who reportedly tried to bring the former Red Sox player into their ranks.
Was Rafael Devers close to joining the Dodgers?
After the news broke on Sunday, on Monday, the Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow and President Sam Kennedy addressed many media questions, including one revealing that the Giants weren’t the only team interested in Devers within the NL West.
The organization spoke with several teams, but according to reports, the Dodgers were not among them.
Per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman never received a call from the Massachusetts front office.
A particularly striking detail is that Rafael Devers is now willing to play first base, third base, or serve as the designated hitter-something that was already a point of contention in his former team.
In this regard, Shohei Ohtani is the Dodgers‘ designated hitter, and Freddie Freeman remains a red-hot bat, making a strong case for NL MVP consideration. Additionally, Max Muncy at third base has posted ideal numbers, which ruled out considering Devers to bolster that position.
The trade of Rafael Devers could be pivotal in deciding the NL West, as the Dodgers (45-29), Giants (41-32), and San Diego Padres (39-33) are separated by just five games in the standings, making it one of the most competitive divisions in all of Major League Baseball.
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