The Boston Red Sox make a deal for a superstar infielder in the offseason. They allegedly failed to notify the player who the move would supplant.
Tensions arise, and the spurned player can’t find his form and is soon eyeing the trade market. History seems to be repeating itself, but whether it’s Nomar Garciaparra or Rafael Devers at the heart of the controversy, the Red Sox just can’t stop upending their own team.
There are, of course, notable differences between Garciaparra’s 2004 drama and Devers’ 2025 nadir. The trade for A-Rod famously didn’t go through, and Garciaparra missed the first three months of the season due to injury. Still, the similarities are glaring enough to give Red Sox Nation flashbacks.
Of course, it worked out for the 2004 Red Sox. They reversed the Curse and then some. The 2025 iteration of the team doesn’t seem like it’s going to be so lucky. For one thing, because the A-Rod deal fell apart, the animosity existed simply between Garciaparra and the front office. Devers, on the other hand, has to look at his replacement in the clubhouse every day.
The Red Sox have once again spurned the faces of their franchise
There doesn’t seem to be a way out of this conflict, either. Alex Bregman will be with the team through 2027, and Triston Casas is entrenched at first base. Kristian Campbell, the team’s hot young second baseman, just signed an extension through at least 2032. Shortstop Marcelo Mayer will be on his way soon. There’s just nowhere for Devers to go.
Similarly, Tanner Houck, who was an All-Star and led the staff with 3.5 bWAR last season, seems like he’s being overlooked. The Red Sox just handed Garrett Crochet an eye-popping extension. Meanwhile, any discussion of an extension for Houck, who has two more years of arbitration, has been quashed.
Devers and, to a lesser extent, Houck have been the heart of this team for years. Both came up through Boston’s farm system and presented the next wave of Red Sox players after their 2018 World Series victory. The Sox let Mookie Betts and Xander Boegarts slip away. Devers, on the other hand, got the biggest contract in franchise history.
It is almost unthinkable that the relationship between the front office and the Red Sox stars could have soured so quickly. ESPN’s Buster Olney has been advocating for a grand ovation for Devers’ at-bats when the Sox return to Fenway this weekend. If club leadership cannot heal the wounds, perhaps the fans can.