If someone two years ago asked Boston Red Sox fans if they expected to see Rafael Devers on the team's 2026 Opening Day roster, the overwhelming majority of them would've said "yes." Last year, spring training drama caused some doubts to settle in, but with nine years left on his contract, people largely expected Devers to remain a Red Sox.
That all changed in June, when the Red Sox shipped Devers across the country and landed four other players in return, only one of which remains in the organization. On March 25, Devers ascended from a cable car in front of the dugout at Oracle Park to begin his first full season as a San Francisco Giant.
The first-ever Opening Night ceremony was a hard watch for some Red Sox fans (and not just because the New York Yankees were there or because of the weird show Netflix put on). Boston was under the impression that Devers would be a Red Sox for life — the only star from the 2018 World Series winning team who remained on the roster.
The Red Sox couldn't set their issues aside, though, and the start of Devers' first full season as a Giant is another cruel reminder that "baseball is a business." Still, there's always room for business to be handled better.
Red Sox fans felt another pang of pain from Rafael Devers trade watching his first Opening Day as a Giant
It doesn't help that the trade hasn't aged well. Boston's lineup severely lacked power after Devers' departure. It ranked 27th in the league in second half home runs while having a slugger in the mix would've made its playoff chase far easier.
Having him on the roster would've eliminated much of the desperation that washed over the team when Bregman signed with Chicago. Jordan Hicks was awful in a Red Sox uniform and more overpaid than Devers, Kyle Harrison showed up to Milwaukee Brewers camp with dangerous new pitch, and outfield prospect James Tibbs III has been slugging up a storm for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The deal is done, Devers is a Giant, and Opening Day made it feel officially official all over again. The Red Sox's roster is stacked with young, homegrown talent and new acquisitions from the trade market, and they're well-positioned to be a better team than last year. Whether or not they'll go far in the postseason without home run power like Devers provides remains to be seen.