Red Sox Received Calls from Four Teams Before Rafael Devers Trade

Despite lingering problems between Devers and the front office stemming from an offseason spat about an unwanted positional change, the team had turned a corner, and trading Devers felt like nothing more than deadline rumors. 

Boston had just swept the New York Yankees and successfully climbed above .500. After the game, Devers told the media, “It’s past us,” when referring to the drama with the team’s higher-ups. 

Hours later, he was traded, and a report by MassLive’s Sean McAdam indicates a deal involving Devers was inevitable.

Three other teams were confirmed to have interest in acquiring Devers, said McAdam. Those teams included the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays, though none were as "motivated" as the Giants.

McAdams continued, "The trade came out of nowhere and stunned the industry. There was little evidence the Red Sox had been publicly shopping him around to other teams, though industry sources said other clubs had called in recent weeks, believing that the Red Sox would at least listen to offers."

Devers never requested a trade, according to McAdam. Yet, he did communicate he would be okay with one if it were to happen. 

Passan further clarified McAdam’s report on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

"Rafael Devers, after all that had happened with Boston this spring, did not want to be in Boston anymore, and the Red Sox saw this as an opportunity to get rid of more than $250 million that he was owed.”

With four teams expressing interest in Devers and increasing tensions between the player and the front office, it is evident that trading Devers was no longer a question of if but when.