Red Sox Acquired 'Star' In Rafael Devers Trade, According To Giants Ace

What are the Boston Red Sox headed after the Rafael Devers trade? Well, some of that depends on the performance of the players they got in return.

In a blockbuster deal with the San Francisco Giants, the Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and pitching prospect Jose Bello.

There's an argument to be made that either Harrison or Tibbs could prove to be the centerpiece of the trade. Harrison is a 23-year-old who was regarded as a top-25 prospect in the sport before his rookie season last year, and Tibbs was the 13th overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft last summer.

Harrison won't join the Boston rotation right away, as he was optioned to Triple-A in the aftermath of the trade. But one former teammate believes the Red Sox got a good one in the young, hard-throwing lefty.

After the Giants' game on Sunday night, All-Star pitcher Logan Webb told reporters about his last conversation with Harrison, who he believes will thrive in his new environment in Boston.

“I told Kyle before he left, ‘Go be a star over there,'” Webb said, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. “I’m the biggest believer in him. He’s getting to go learn from some really good pitchers … and (Red Sox pitching coach) Andrew Bailey. So it’s a good landing spot and I think he’s going to be great.”

Harrison had to be shaken by the trade. He grew up in the Bay Area and attended athletic powerhouse De La Salle High School in Concord, less than 30 miles from Oracle Park. He was a fan favorite early in his Giants career, especially after a memorable home debut in 2023.

His 4.48 career ERA doesn't necessarily indicate a future of stardom, but there's a lot to like about Harrison's profile--namely, a fastball that can climb up to 97 miles per hour on a good night with wicked arm-side run.

Still, he's a major project, and Bailey and the Red Sox have a huge onus to get results from him after trading away their franchise player.