The Los Angeles Dodgers know a thing or two about pulling off a megadeal with the Boston Red Sox.

This past Sunday, Boston traded slugger Rafael Devers to L.A.’s biggest rival and current runner-up in the National League West division, the San Francisco Giants.

The trade was announced about 20 minutes before the Dodgers threw their first pitch against the Giants to close out a three-game series.

Aside from the frantic pitching swap right before the contest — San Francisco’s southpaw Kyle Harrison was scheduled to pitch against L.A. but was included in the Devers deal and had to be replaced — the timing of the trade and the similarities to how the Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts from Boston in 2020 were striking.Although there was prior speculation given Devers’ unhappiness with the Red Sox asking him to try and move to first base after spending all year at designated hitter (and last season almost entirely at third base), the timing of this deal given the July 31 deadline was unexpected to say the least.

Betts spoke on the surprising nature of the deal and Boston’s willingness to make moves to try and improve.

“I just thought it was crazy. Nothing really to say, it’s just crazy,” Betts said. “They care. They want to win. Those guys over there are doing a great job of putting a team together and obviously, they want to win.”

Betts was traded to the Dodgers at 27 years old and just one season removed from an American League MVP and helping Boston win the 2018 World Series (against L.A.).

Devers, also a valued member of the 2018 title team in Boston, is 28 years old and a three-time All-Star with a knack for crushing the ball out of the park.

He can’t quite be compared to Betts’ accolades given he has never cracked the top-10 in MVP voting and is a year older than Betts at the time of his trade out of the American League and into an NL West contender’s clubhouse, but the similarities are worth noting.