Philadelphia Phillies Missed Out on Massive Opportunity With Rafael Devers Trade

Early Sunday evening, the baseball world stood still when a massive blockbuster trade occurred between the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox that saw one of the most feared power hitters in baseball sent to the Bay Area.

After a last several months filled with drama between Rafael Devers and the Red Sox, Boston finally shipped him out of town six weeks before the trade deadline to the Giants for what on the surface looks like a fairly underwhelming return.

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Kyle Harrison is a young arm with a lot of potential and though Jordan Hicks has struggled as a converted reliever, him going back to the bullpen provides some upside as well.

San Francisco included two prospects who while not top of the line talents, do have some possible room to climb up the rankings as well. Overall though this was a relatively minor package for Devers.

It's worth at least asking the question whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies missed out by not trying to beat that.

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For one, Philadelphia has seemingly endless pitching they could have dealt and probably beaten the combination of Harrison and Hicks while also boasting a better farm system than the Giants.

More importantly than that though was the the gaping hole that Devers could have filled.

Granted, Alec Bohm has been much better over the last month coming off a very ugly start, but Devers would unquestionably be a third base upgrade and potentially slot right into Kyle Schwarber's DH spot next year should he leave this offseason.

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Bohm was seen as a trade candidate through the entire offseason and would have been a valuable piece of the return given his .317/.349/.490 slash line over the last 30 days.

Though the Phillies have been very relevant in the National League over the last few seasons and look to be on track to get back to the postseason, the lineup has fallen apart at the most important moments in each of the last three runs.

A major shakeup like this could have been exactly what was needed in order to get this group of hitters over the hump when it matters most come October.

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Now, not only does Philadelphia miss out on Devers, they allow him to fall into the hands of a Giants team who look like they very well might be another threat in an ultra-competitive National League.

Leading San Francisco by a game and a half in the Wild Card standings at the time of trade, the Phillies sitting back and allowing a competitor to get stronger could prove to sting down the line.

Time will tell just how much.

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