Red Sox Reportedly Had Eyes Set on Different Trade Package for Rafael Devers

Craig Breslow’s tenure as the Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer hinges on the success of the team after trading away Rafael Devers. If the daring move pays off, Breslow looks like a genius who risked verbal persecution to propel Boston to new heights. Should the Red Sox consistently fall short of the playoffs and the players obtained in the trade not fulfill their potential, Breslow will likely be dismissed, and his legacy marred as the individual who evicted Rafael Devers from Boston.

The primary reaction to the move is around the package Boston received in return for Devers. Jordan Hicks, who currently has a 6.47 ERA, is set to forgo his starting pitching experiment and return to the bullpen after two unsuccessful seasons with the San Francisco Giants. Left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison certainly possesses a high upside, but the 23-year-old’s struggles are evident. In the 35 major league starts, Harrison has a 4.48 ERA and above 3.0 walks-per-nine across 182 innings.

Headlining the deal is outfielder prospect James Tibbs III. The former 2024 first-round pick slots in as Boston’s number six prospect but failed to make MLB's Top 100 prospect list. 

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

On paper, the return for Devers is underwhelming, and according to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, Boston’s initial asking price was much higher with the inclusion of the San Francisco Giants’ top prospect and MLB Pipeline’s #19 prospect, Bryce Eldridge.

“It took nearly four weeks of negotiations to agree on the player package,” Baggarly wrote. “In the early stages, the Red Sox insisted upon 20-year-old first base prospect Bryce Eldridge, but the Giants refused to consider including him in the deal.”

Eldridge is tearing up the minor leagues, already in Triple-A at the age of 20. In 2025, he is slashing .251/.323/.797 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs. His quick ascension would fit in Boston’s timeline alongside top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcello Mayer. And with Triston Casas’ future in doubt, Eldridge would have been an excellent contender as his potential successor at first base.

The Red Sox asking for Eldridge is not shocking, but the fact that Breslow lowered his asking price is. After witnessing Juan Soto net multiple top-100 prospects for the Washington Nationals, Boston could not get one. Admitting that Devers is a ring below Soto among MLB’s elite, it is still head-scratching that Breslow willingly accepted a lower offer, knowing he did not need to trade Devers.

“There was no mandate [to trade Devers],” said Breslow. “The mandate is to assemble the best team that we possibly could. To do that, we needed to create a more functional roster and give certain guys more playing time to be able to rotate through the DH spot. This is a roster that certainly has some needs, and we can talk about starting pitching and bullpen help. We think we addressed some of those in the return that we had in this deal. But additionally, I do think that it gives us some resources as we head toward the Deadline.”

Breslow is not wrong to say they filled some needs, but holding out for the best offer seems like a logical decision – especially when it involves a pillar of the franchise.