Red Sox Brace for Trade Deadline After Shocking Devers Deal

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Six weeks after the unexpected trade of Rafael Devers, the Boston Red Sox are gearing up for a potentially busy trade deadline on Thursday. Devers, who was the team’s longest-tenured player, was sent to the San Francisco Giants shortly after Boston completed a sweep of the New York Yankees.

The trade caught many players off guard, raising the alert level across the team. Outfielder Rob Refsnyder noted, “I think when Rafael Devers gets traded, all of us are on high alert.” With the deadline approaching, there is speculation surrounding the future of Jarren Duran, whose name has been frequently mentioned in trade rumors.

Duran, who recently contributed to a victory against the Minnesota Twins with a home run, expressed the emotional weight of the trade speculation, saying he spent much of pre-game with headphones on to focus. “Having something like that happen a few weeks ago helps you prepare even more,” Refsnyder added.

Since the Devers trade, the Red Sox have performed well, going 21-15 and keeping their wild card hopes alive. The team is now in second place in the American League wild card race, which they attribute in part to a newfound resilience following the surprising move.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has acknowledged a need for better communication within the organization following the Devers deal. “I need to own things that I could have done better,” Breslow stated, highlighting his commitment to addressing players’ concerns.

Reliever Garrett Whitlock emphasized that while roster changes are not their responsibility, the team is focused on playing their best. “We’re not going to focus on anything external. We’re going to focus on the nine innings we got on hand and go from there,” he said.

As the deadline nears, uncertainty looms over the clubhouse. Starting pitcher Walker Buehler contemplates the impact of potential trades on their roster, stating, “I want to try to figure it out and become that guy for us.”

There is a sense that no matter what happens before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline, the Red Sox players are bracing for change.