![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2617194\/boston-manager-alex-cora.webp?w=790&f=b031305ac1a4a7f5afe87d1dbfec61b5)
<\/picture><\/div>“For me, it’s been kind of sad that I’ve been put out there as someone bad for the organization or not about this organization,” Devers said,\u00a0as quoted by The Athletic. “But I’ve matured a lot during this, and I’m ready to move forward.”<\/p>\n
But the possibility remains that Devers’ newly cooperative public stance is just that, for public consumption only, while he remains privately disgruntled. If that is indeed the case,\u00a0Athlon Sports MLB analyst Sam Bernardi\u00a0earlier this week proposed a way for the Red Sox to move Devers out of town, in a trade proposal that may be one of the most far-fetched yet for accommodating a disillusioned Devers.<\/p>\n
Bernardi suggested moving the 28-year-old slugger and\u00a0his 200 career home runs\u00a0to the Detroit Tigers, in exchange for a package highlighted by a player who just five years ago was the No. 1 overall pick in the\u00a0MLB\u00a0draft.<\/p>\n
That player is first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who has never lived up to the expectations set by becoming the top overall pick in 2020.<\/p>\n
“He’s a career .221 batter with a .693 OPS, and while he does have power (31 home runs in 2023), it would make sense for both parties to start fresh,” Bernardi wrote. “On the Red Sox, Torkelson could help Triston Casas at first base and split time with Masataka Yoshida at DH.”<\/p>\n
Also in the trade package for Devers would be the Tigers’ current No. 2 overall prospect Max Clark. The\u00a0No. 3 overall draft pick in 2023, Clark is currently ranked as\u00a0MLB\u00a0Pipeline’s\u00a0sixth overall prospect. He was named a Florida State League All-Star last year when he posted am .807 OPS with seven home runs and 26 stolen bases\u00a0for Single-A Lakeland.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Tigers would include\u00a0lefty reliever Tyler Holton, who has thrown 188 2\/3 big league innings over the past three seasons, with a very solid 2.19 ERA, nine saves and 157 strikeouts.<\/p>\n
Holton, who “has some of the best stuff in the league,” is a sleeper in the deal. “While he is not going to give distance, he has a ridiculous five-pitch arsenal,” according to Bernardi.<\/p>\n
Would the package of a No. 1 draft pick bust, a promising minor leaguer and a largely overlooked lefty bullpen arm be enough to wrest Devers from the Red Sox? Count\u00a0SI.com scribe Patrick McAvoy, for one, as skeptical. In a piece reviewing the proposal on Thursday, McAvoy called the trade pitch “ridiculous” and “unlikely.”<\/p>\n
If Devers’ public-facing acceptance of the DH role is genuine, McAvoy is certainly correct. But if the three-time All-Star with an .855 career OPS is still harboring a secret grudge against the Red Sox organization, all bets may well be off.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rafael Devers, the face of the Boston Red Sox franchise thanks to his\u00a0team-record 10-year, $313.5 million\u00a0contract, had served as the team’s designated hitter in only 22 games… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":48001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n