Rafael Devers, the face of the Boston Red Sox franchise thanks to his team-record 10-year, $313.5 million contract, had served as the team's designated hitter in only 22 games of his eight-year, 955-game major league career, all of it with the Red Sox, heading into this season.
But Devers made it 23 on opening day, when he made his debut as, according to manager Alex Cora, the club's full-time DH, a new role for Devers necessitated by the signing of Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman as a free agent at the outset of spring training.
Devers immediately made his objections to abandoning his third-base post public in February, only coming around to say he was "good to do whatever they want me to do," a month later.
"For me, it's been kind of sad that I've been put out there as someone bad for the organization or not about this organization," Devers said, as quoted by The Athletic. "But I've matured a lot during this, and I'm ready to move forward."
But the possibility remains that Devers' newly cooperative public stance is just that, for public consumption only, while he remains privately disgruntled. If that is indeed the case, Athlon Sports MLB analyst Sam Bernardi earlier this week proposed a way for the Red Sox to move Devers out of town, in a trade proposal that may be one of the most far-fetched yet for accommodating a disillusioned Devers.
Bernardi suggested moving the 28-year-old slugger and his 200 career home runs to the Detroit Tigers, in exchange for a package highlighted by a player who just five years ago was the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft.
That player is first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who has never lived up to the expectations set by becoming the top overall pick in 2020.
"He's a career .221 batter with a .693 OPS, and while he does have power (31 home runs in 2023), it would make sense for both parties to start fresh," Bernardi wrote. "On the Red Sox, Torkelson could help Triston Casas at first base and split time with Masataka Yoshida at DH."
Also in the trade package for Devers would be the Tigers' current No. 2 overall prospect Max Clark. The No. 3 overall draft pick in 2023, Clark is currently ranked as MLB Pipeline's sixth overall prospect. He was named a Florida State League All-Star last year when he posted am .807 OPS with seven home runs and 26 stolen bases for Single-A Lakeland.
Finally, the Tigers would include lefty reliever Tyler Holton, who has thrown 188 2/3 big league innings over the past three seasons, with a very solid 2.19 ERA, nine saves and 157 strikeouts.
Holton, who "has some of the best stuff in the league," is a sleeper in the deal. "While he is not going to give distance, he has a ridiculous five-pitch arsenal," according to Bernardi.
Would the package of a No. 1 draft pick bust, a promising minor leaguer and a largely overlooked lefty bullpen arm be enough to wrest Devers from the Red Sox? Count SI.com scribe Patrick McAvoy, for one, as skeptical. In a piece reviewing the proposal on Thursday, McAvoy called the trade pitch "ridiculous" and "unlikely."
If Devers' public-facing acceptance of the DH role is genuine, McAvoy is certainly correct. But if the three-time All-Star with an .855 career OPS is still harboring a secret grudge against the Red Sox organization, all bets may well be off.
