On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Boston Red Sox are currently riding high on a five-game win streak, having won seven of their last eight games.
However, just moments after Sunday’s win over the New York Yankees completed a series sweep, the team made a stunning decision to trade star third baseman and designated hitter Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.
In return, Boston received pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, along with minor league prospects James Tibbs III and Jose Bello.
The move was widely unpopular among the Red Sox fanbase, especially considering the team is in the midst of its best stretch of the season and playing its most inspired baseball.
Devers, in just the second year of his 10-year, $313.5 million contract, has had a drama-filled season—particularly due to his frustration with being used more as a designated hitter than as the everyday third baseman, a role he's embraced since breaking out with Boston in 2017.
Following the trade, Red Sox manager Alex Cora—who has been at the helm for Devers’ entire professional career—shared a one-word message in Spanish on Instagram, alongside a photo of the two embracing after the team’s 2018 World Series victory.
"Gracias [Rafael Devers]," Cora posted.
Fans reacted to Cora's message with mixed emotions:
"Yeah save it Cora. Don’t want to hear it," a fan said.
Another fan posted, "What a hypocrite! It was obvious he didn't want him on the team. The only one they should have traded was Cora."
Someone else added, "lmao getting thanked by the guy who lied to his face….. is quite something."
"Cora will always get his way, even if he has to cheat," one more fan commented.
Cora and Devers certainly didn’t see eye to eye for much of the season, especially after the team signed Alex Bregman in the offseason. The Red Sox explored the idea of moving Devers to first base, but he showed little interest. Even when Bregman went down with an injury, Devers didn’t seem eager to return to third base, even temporarily.
Now, Boston parts ways with arguably its best bat in the lineup in exchange for pitching help that, at least on paper, hasn’t been overly impressive this season. Jordan Hicks currently holds a 6.54 ERA, while Kyle Harrison owns a 4.56 ERA and was optioned to Triple-A Worcester shortly after the trade was finalized.
More must-reads:
- Why did the Orioles activate star player during last week of season?
- MLB approves Patrick Zalupski as new Rays owner
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Rival Teams 'Upset' With Dodgers Due to Shohei Ohtani Rule
However the Dodgers decide to use star pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in the postseason, the generational talent gives LA a massive advantage. Because of a unique rule that applies only to players as unique as Ohtani, the Dodgers could turn their superstar into an even bigger advantage. Every team in MLB is limited to a maximum playoff roster of 26 players, with no more than 13 spots reserved for pitchers. Ohtani will be able to enter the postseason as a designated hitter and will not take up one of the 13 spots as a pitcher despite the Dodgers planning on utilizing Ohtani as a starting pitcher. "Teams are upset that the Dodgers will have one more pitcher than everyone else on their roster since there’s a special exemption for Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player," USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote. "If Ohtani is a starting pitcher, he can remain in the game as a DH once he’s replaced on the mound. But if he starts the game as a DH and pitches out of the bullpen, the Dodgers would lose the DH once his relief appearance is over. The only way Ohtani could stay in the game would be moving to the outfield, where he hasn’t played since 2021." Ohtani has expressed his willingness to play in the outfield if it means giving the Dodgers a roster advantage in the postseason. However, it is likely, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, that Ohtani will not be making a surprise appearance in the outfield. One factor that will be at play with Ohtani's ability to contrtibute as a starting pitcher will be his longevity. After recovering from a torn UCL in the 2023 season and serving as a designated hitter exclusively in 2024, Ohtani returned to the mound in 2025. While Ohtani has performed well with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, he hasn't pitched more than five innings in a single start. Ohtani's limited use is a strategy by the Dodgers to save their superstar's arm for the big moments that are offered in October. Ohtani has one more scheduled start for the regular season when the Dodgers travel to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. Latest Dodgers News
Steelers' Once Promising Third-Year Defender Could Be Relegated On The Depth Chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun the 2025 NFL season with a 2-1 record, however there are some things that need to be figured out. The defense is shaky at best despite forcing five turnovers in Sunday's win over the New England Patriots in Week 3. The group still struggles to get off of the field on possession downs, and stopping the run has been an issue throughout the first three weeks of the season. A lot of that starts with the front seven and the interior defensive line. Pittsburgh has been banged up in that area, but some healthy contributors returning could shake up the lineup. Pittsburgh was able to see the regular season debut of Derrick Harmon on Sunday. The organization selected Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he suffered a sprained MCL in the preseason finale which kept him on the sidelines throughout the first two weeks of the regular season. He made an impact while serving in a limited role on Sunday against New England as he recorded a sack and two total tackles, and he is expected to help the run defense in the near future. Team insider Mark Kaboly spoke about the interior defensive line after the game on Sunday on the most recent episode of Kaboly + Mack, and he believes there will be two rookies starting in that area very soon. "They made some moves there, and it was able to help them out," Kaboly said. "That's a definite difference in what they were able to do. And I think it's just a matter of time until Yahya Black, Derrick Harmon and Cam Heyward's your one, two and three across the front. It's just a matter of time." Currently, Cam Heyward and Yahya Black are the starting defensive tackles for Pittsburgh while Keeanu Benton has been the starting nose tackle. That is the part of the lineup that will be shuffled, as Benton will likely switch to being a rotational piece, while Harmon enters the starting lineup. He will likely takeover the duties at defensive tackle, while Black shuffles to nose tackle. Benton was expected to take a leap forward going into his second season in 2024, but that didn't necessarily happen. He has made some big plays for Pittsburgh, but he has not been the consistent force that the organization had hoped he would be to this point. There was hope he would improve once again during the 2025 season, but if anything, the third-year pro has shown some regression since his rookie season. Moving to a rotational role where he can fill in at both defensive tackle and nose tackle might be best for Benton at this point. He doesn't necessarily have the size to be a true nose tackle in the NFL, so the coaching staff in Pittsburgh has seemingly been setting him up for failure a little bit in that regard. He would likely play better at defensive tackle, which is something the coaching staff could find out if the starting defensive line gets shuffled. Steelers Need To See Keeanu Benton Step Up No matter what role he is serving, Benton needs to play better moving forward. The interior defensive line is a key part of stopping the run, and Pittsburgh has struggled to do that. It is going to be hard to win meaningful games if that problem persists, especially against the better teams in the NFL that show up on the schedule later in the year. Benton needs to show some signs of progression, whether that be as a starter, or as someone who rotates in with the starting lineup throughout a game. Benton can still have a future in Pittsburgh, but he is going to need to improve in 2025 while setting himself up for success in 2026.
Former HC does not hold back on Cowboys' atrocious defense
The Dallas Cowboys have played about as poorly as they possibly can on defense through the first three weeks of the NFL season. One week after needing a pair of late field goals from kicker Brandon Aubrey to outlast the New York Giants, 40-37, in overtime, the Cowboys dropped their second game in three weeks on Sunday in a 31-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, showing no signs of improvement whatsoever. Rex Ryan blasts Cowboys defense Simply put, Dallas just looks lost on defense, leading to former head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan going off during Monday's edition of "Get Up." "Just when we thought it couldn't get worse, this defense comes up with even a worse performance," Ryan said. ... "You're so dumb. I can't stand it. Do something. I don't want to hear about you can't rush the passer. Then how about we send more players on the quarterback. We can't play zone coverage, then how about we play man coverage. You guys stink. Dumbsday defense." Dallas had no answers for the Bears and QB Caleb Williams on Sunday. After struggling to find a rhythm in the first two games, Williams was sensational, throwing for 298 yards and four TDs to pick up head coach Ben Johnson's first win in Chicago. As good as Williams was, though, the Cowboys defense certainly helped. Dallas (1-2) has given up 92 points through three games and is 28th in the league in opponent points per game (30.7 PPG), per TeamRankings. Something Ryan alluded to in his rant was Dallas' inability to stop Chicago on a 19-play, 76-yard drive in the third quarter that took 9:54 off the clock. It was a 24-14 game before then, and the Cowboys were picked off on each of their final three drives afterward to seal their fate. Quarterback Dak Prescott has been solid, accounting for 800 passing yards — fourth-most in the league — and three TDs. Before Sunday, he had only thrown one interception. The run game has also contributed four combined TDs between Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, providing a much-needed balance. That has ultimately not mattered with the defense unable to get stops and limit drives from opposing teams. To make matters worse, star wideout CeeDee Lamb suffered a left ankle injury in the loss on Sunday, and it sounds like he could land on injured reserve, which would put him out of action for at least four games. That is the last thing Dallas needs right now. The team will likely be without its best player for an extended period of time, in addition to having an abysmal defense, which does not sound encouraging going forward for a franchise that always seems to be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Travis Kelce Slapped with $14k Fine for 'Obscene Gesture' in Eagles Defeat
Travis Kelce received shocking news ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs’ trip to the Big Apple to face the New York Giants. The NFL has instructed Kelce to pay a fine of $14,491 for making an obscene gesture in the Chiefs’ week two fixture against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles led 13-10 through a Jake Elliott field goal early in the third quarter. Around the four-minute mark, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes snapped the ball on second and seven before setting Kelce for a 23-yard gain that ended inside the Eagles’ 45-yard mark. After Eagles DB Cooper DeJean pushed Kelce out of bounds, the veteran tight end made a gesture that can only be quantified as flashing one’s own man parts. Five days later, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted that the league deemed Kelce’s gesture obscene and fined him $14k for unsportsmanlike conduct. A decisive tush push touchdown five minutes into the fourth quarter pushed the Eagles’ lead to ten points. Mahomes connected with wide receiver Tyquan Thornton for a powerful 49-yard touchdown. However, this score did not alter the outcome, as the Eagles confidently secured a 20-17 victory, raising their record to a strong 2-0 for the season. Travis Kelce addressed his mistake in the Eagles’ defeat Kelce squandered a big opportunity in the fourth quarter. Around the thirteenth-minute mark, Mahomes hit the 35-year-old with a sharp pass near the Eagles’ end zone. Chiefs fans were ready to celebrate, only to realize that the ball rebounded off Kelce’s hands and into Eagles DB Andrew Mukuba’s possession. Instead of scoring a TD, Mahomes’ pass was counted as an interception. Kelce addressed his fumble on Wednesday’s episode of the New Heights podcast. The ball was where it needed to be when it needed to be there. I just gotta get my head around the break. And I shot you that text telling you that; it’s one of those plays where it happens, bang, bang, and I know that’s the window that it needs to be in, I know it’s coming outta armpits [and ear holes] of the offense and defensive line getting their arms up, and I just gotta be able to get my head around right now, so I don’t put myself in a position to let the ball surprise me like that. Travis Kelce said Kelce finished the Eagles game with 4 catches for 61 yards and zero touchdowns. After two games, he has amassed 6 catches for 108 yards and one touchdown (scored against the Chargers in Brazil). An important game for both Chiefs and Giants The Chiefs aimed to start the season on the right note after blowing the chance to three-peat. However, 0-2 after the first two weeks has created a sense of concern in KC about how the season might pan out going forward. In week three, the Chiefs play the 0-2 Giants, who lost to the Commanders and the Cowboys. The Chiefs and the Giants have met on 15 previous occasions, and the G-Men boast an 11-4 record. In fact, they are undefeated against their AFC counterpart at MetLife Stadium. On the flip side, Mahomes is 1-0 in this fixture. He recorded a 20-17 win in Week 8 of the 2021 season. Mahomes threw for 275 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, while Kelce had 4 receptions for 27 yards. The Chiefs have a 76% chance of securing their first win of the year on Sunday.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
