Red Sox Urged To Target Giants Star In Follow-Up To Rafael Devers Blockbuster

The question of "who won" the Rafael Devers trade between the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants will likely span generations.

Boston sending Devers and his entire contract to San Francisco for a decent, but not overwhelming four-player package was one of the most shocking moves of the 21st century. But since the trade, Devers has struggled, the Giants have been mediocre, and the Red Sox have suddenly caught fire.

Boston is 16-9 since the trade and 53-45 overall. San Francisco is 11-14 and 52-45, respectively.

The National League is tougher than the American League so far this season, so as of this moment, the Red Sox are in playoff position and the Giants are out of it. But is there any world in which the Giants, now that they made the ultimate midseason acquisition in Devers, would consider selling off a veteran piece?

Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston doesn't think it's impossible. On Tuesday, Leger proposed that the Red Sox could target standout Giants reliever Tyler Rogers, an impending free agent, in another trade before the Jul. 31 deadline.

"Rogers has been nothing short of stellar since joining the Giants in 2018. The 34-year-old is a workhorse who has led the National League in appearances in three seasons, and he's on pace to do the same this year with an MLB-leading 48 outings before the All-Star break," Leger wrote.

"This season has been Rogers' best yet. The submariner has a 1.55 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and only four walks. Rogers would be a rental, so he's among the most reliable and cost-effective options on this list."

Rogers, who throws the ball from a completely different arm slot than any other reliever in the game, would undoubtedly be a nice get for the Red Sox. But the biggest impediment is obviously the Giants' willingness to sell, and even if they did, would they go back to the well with Boston?

The Giants play a tough 12-game schedule for the rest of the month, so it's not inconceivable that they could quickly fall out of the race, especially if Devers keeps struggling. But even if they should consider moving Rogers, it's probably safe for the Red Sox to assume they need to look elsewhere.