Rafael Devers is gone.
News of the stunning trade came like a bolt from the blue early Sunday evening, changing the course of both the Red Sox season and its long-term future. Devers was only two years into his 10-year, $313.5 million contract, the largest in team history, and now he’ll serve out the remainder of that deal as a member of the San Francisco Giants.
The move will have enormous ramifications for the Red Sox, the most immediate being who the club is getting back in return.
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Boston is getting four players in exchange for the three-time All-Star: right-hander Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison, and minor leaguers James Tibbs III and Jose Bello. To clear space for both Hicks and Harrison on the 40-man roster, the club is also designating minor league left-hander Zach Penrod for assignment.
Who are these guys, and are they a sufficient return for one of the most accomplished players in franchise history? Here is a look at each player and what they could bring to the table in Boston.
Hicks was previously a free agent target of Boston’s before signing with San Francisco on a four-year, $44 million ahead of the 2024 season. At that time Hicks was coming off a career year in which he struck out 81 batters in 65.1 innings split between St. Louis and Toronto, and when he signed with the Giants the club signaled its intention to move him from the bullpen to the starting rotation.
That plan didn’t work out. Hicks was pulled from the rotation in August of last season and then again in May after the Giants gave it another shot this season. So far the right-hander has posted a 6.47 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 48.2 innings. He is currently on the 15-day injured list with right toe inflammation.
Upon his return Hicks will most likely join the Red Sox bullpen, where he has a solid track record and will bring a fastball that has registered as high as 101 mph on the radar gun this season.
Potentially the deal’s most valuable return, Harrison is a 23-year-old left-hander who once ranked as MLB’s No. 30 prospect according to Baseball America heading into his rookie year of 2023. Since then Harrison has experienced some bumps in the road but remains a tantalizing young pitcher with plenty of upside.
Through 39 career appearances (35 starts), Harrison has posted a 4.48 ERA with 178 strikeouts over 182.2 innings. This year he opened the season in Triple-A after an inconsistent spring, but has been back with the major league club since early May and has posted a 4.56 ERA through his first eight outings.
Harrison was actually scheduled to start for San Francisco on Sunday Night Baseball when he was scratched shortly before first pitch due to the trade. He was subsequently optioned to Triple-A Worcester and will initially serve as a depth arm for Boston.
Tibbs was San Francisco’s first-round pick from last summer’s MLB Draft, going No. 13 overall, and ranked as the Giants’ No. 4 prospect prior to the trade according to MLB Pipeline. The outlet now has him as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s system.
A standout outfielder at Florida State, Tibbs has gotten off to a fantastic start to his first full season of professional baseball. So far this spring the 22-year-old has batted .245 with 12 home runs, 32 RBI and an .857 OPS in 56 games at High-A.
MLB Pipeline’s scouting report describes Tibbs as having a smooth left-handed swing with plenty of bat speed and solid power to all fields. Tibbs is regarded as a bat-first talent who has enough arm strength to play right field but who lacks the speed and range generally needed to play the position at Fenway Park.
A 20-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic, Bello was signed as an international free agent in 2023 and has so far pitched exclusively in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League.
While still very young and raw, Bello has demonstrated some swing and miss ability, generating 105 strikeouts in 78.2 career innings. According to Baseball America, Bello has a fastball that touches 95 mph and a deceptive delivery that enhances his intriguing four-pitch mix.
