Looking back at Red Sox’s biggest surprise of 2025

The Red Sox had pursued veteran 3rd baseman Alex Bregman throughout the offseason because he had a brilliant glove, was a great clutch hitter and they had high hopes for his leadership. They signed him shortly before the start of spring training to a 3-year contract that gave Bregman the right to opt out after the first year. (More on that later.)

It didn’t seem like the Red Sox realized they had invited controversy into their locker room by bringing in another player to play Devers’ position. While Bregman was a Gold Glove-caliber fielder and Devers was quite inconsistent at the position, the Red Sox just assumed that Devers would simply move to designated hitter while the former Astro took over at the hot corner.

“He can throw his glove away” was the party line that came from Red Sox management. Devers opened the season as a DH and slumped badly at the plate, going 0 for 19 with 15 strikeouts. Perhaps the move to DH and away from 3rd base weighed on him heavily. His hitting eventually came around and Devers began slashing the ball to all fields and demonstrating the power that Red Sox fans were used to seeing.

He may not have been thrilled by the move to DH, but he was doing his job. However, that would not last when disappointing 1st baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and the Red Sox wanted Devers to pick up a 1st baseman’s glove and play a new position.

Shocking trade to Giants

He was not about to do that, even when chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and owner John Henry spoke to him about it. The Red Sox expected Devers — he had signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract with the team — to follow the team’s wishes. Devers had been insulted by the way the team had treated him, so he was not about to go to a new position when adversity hit the organization.

Once Devers rejected the team’s overture, the die was cast. The team’s best hitter was traded to the San Francisco Giants for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison and a pair of prospects. It was a move that stunned the team and Red Sox fans, and it would clearly impact the team throughout the rest of 2025 and the future.

The Red Sox survived during the season and nearly thrived, but the future without the 28-year-old left-handed slugger remains an issue.

As the Red Sox prepare for the 2026 season, they may not have Bregman to play 3rd base. He opted out of his contract after the season, and he could sign with a team like the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs or Arizona Diamondbacks. The Red Sox are still in the mix, but he may not be back at Fenway Park.

If he does leave, the loss of Devers would hurt that much more. While Devers took much of the heat for his intractable attitude about playing a new position, the team insulted him andtreated him in a shabby fashion after Bregman was signed.

The behavior of both parties and the subsequent trade represented the most shocking and surprising move of the Red Sox organization in 2025.