Red Sox fans enraged by this Rafael Devers trade proposal

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 24: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on August 24, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 24: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on August 24, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Should the Red Sox trade Rafael Devers to the New York Mets for several top prospects?

If Boston Red Sox fans haven’t reached their breaking point, this Rafael Devers trade proposal from MLB.com might just put them over the top.

Over the holiday weekend, Anthony Castrovince proposed that the Sox deal Devers to the New York Mets in exchange for third baseman Bretty Baty, RHP Blade Tidwell, and outfielder Nick Morabito. Baty is the Mets’ No. 2 prospect, Tidwell ranks eighth, and Morabito comes in at 14th.

Thanks, but no thanks! Hard pass! Thanks for playing!

This would be an okay return for a player with only one year of club control remaining, but it’s not even worth getting into the stats and potential of these prospects. They don’t matter. The Sox cannot even entertain the idea of trading Devers, and they claim they have no plans to do so. But because the Sox already traded a generational talent (Mookie Betts) in the last few years, it’s even more imperative that they extend Devers.

Devers is a free agent after the upcoming season, so this is Boston’s last shot to lock him in long-term. They made the mistake of letting Xander Bogaerts reach free agency, and now they risk losing him to teams smarter than they are about his immense value. Devers also gave the Sox a hard deadline; as with last year, he made it clear that he will not negotiate during the season, so they have until Opening Day to get a deal done.