The truth revealed why the Toronto Blue Jays did not win the trade for Rafael Devers
Photo credit: Blue Jays Nation
If you were caught up in Father's Day festivities on Sunday, you may have missed a surprising blockbuster deal between the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants.
In a move few saw coming, the Red Sox traded three-time All-Star Rafael Devers to the Giants in exchange for veteran right-hander Jordan Hicks, promising young lefty Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and minor league pitcher Jose Bello.
Blue Jays' secret pursuit of AL superstar finally revealed.
Chris Henderson from Blue Jays Nation writes that while it's not entirely surprising that the Red Sox chose to part ways with Devers given all the drama surrounding him this season, he was still arguably the face of the franchise and their most dangerous bat.
"The Red Sox are rich in young talent like Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and many others who have graced the top 100 prospect lists in recent years. Still, Devers is only 28 and was a nice fit as a leader now, and someone young enough to grow with this talented young nucleus. Unfortunately, the relationship between the veteran slugger and the club soured over the past few months, and the Red Sox decided that a fresh start was the best course of action." -Henderson
It's somewhat surprising that the Red Sox ultimately went through with the trade, but what isn't all that unexpected is that the Blue Jays were reportedly one of the teams that inquired about Devers, according to Sean McAdam of MassLive.com
"Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays' front office team have long been known to conduct thorough due diligence in exploring potential player acquisitions, so it makes sense to me that they inquired about Devers as well, even with the AL East rivalry at stake." -Henderson
It may be a moot point now, but Devers wouldn't been a strong fit for the Blue Jays, especially since the Blue Jays did actually inquire about the potential trade but it looks like them and a few others team were not as serious as the Giants.
"His left-handed power bat would have fit very well in Toronto, as would his strong relationship with Vladimir Guerrero Jr and others on the roster. There's no doubt that the fit made all the sense in the world, at least as far as the Blue Jays expressing their interest, but they were never going to be the only suitor, and sharing a division with the Red Sox also makes coming to a deal a lot more difficult. I'm not sure the Blue Jays would have been comfortable beating the package that the Giants sent for Devers, even if it wasn't overwhelming." -Henderson
Instead, the Blue Jays won't have to face Devers nearly as often. Whether the Red Sox made the right call in parting with their longest-tenured hitter remains to be seen, but in the short term, it's fair to say they've taken a step back offensively.
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