Red Sox Could Dump 7-Time All-Star To Dodgers After Rafael Devers Trade

If Sunday proved anything, it's that you can never say with certainty you know what the Boston Red Sox will do next.

In trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, the Red Sox threw their 2025 season outlook completely out of whack. A team that had won seven of their last eight games to get above .500 suddenly doesn't have its best hitter anymore, and heaven only knows what else they have planned before the trade deadline.

It doesn't seem as though the traditional definitions of "buying" and "selling" will apply to the Red Sox in any regard. They'll make a trade if they think it's the right move long-term, whether it helps or hinders their ability to win games between now and October.

Meanwhile, if there's another player on the active roster that now seems to have the best chance of getting traded away, it's seven-time All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who could net them some value on a one-year contract.

On Monday, Newsweek's Andrew Wright pitched Chapman as a trade candidate for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who just saw their arch-rivals acquire Devers and may want more left-handed firepower in their bullpen as a result.

"What's the best way to neutralize a left-handed power bat? Have him face one of the game's premier left-handed relief pitchers in high-leverage situations," Wright wrote. "That is what the scenario would be if the Dodgers added Chapman to a bullpen that already includes left-hander Tanner Scott.

"Los Angeles would be able to send out Chapman and Scott in back-to-back nights to try and lock down saves against the heart of the San Francisco order that will eventually include Devers."

Hm. Have Chapman and Devers ever squared off in a high-profile matchup of two division rivals? A certain game in the Bronx in August of 2017 might ring a few bells...

Regardless, the Red Sox trading Chapman has to be considered a very real possibility at this point, especially if they cool down over the next few weeks with Devers gone. And even if they're still right in the playoff mix at the trade deadline, it's not as if they're suggesting that winning this year is their number-one priority.

Chapman, who has a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings, would be a massive get for any team looking for left-handed bullpen help, with the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs joining the Dodgers as obvious fits.