Three Rafael Devers replacements Red Sox should strongly consider

The Boston Red Sox lineup instantly developed a power vacuum that coincided with the departure of veteran slugger Rafael Devers. 

The only players in the Red Sox batting order who maintain OPS numbers above .790 are all platoon players; those being Romy Gonzalez, Abraham Toro and Rob Refsnyder (not including the injured Alex Bregman).

Since the trade, the Red Sox have fallen under .500. If Craig Breslow does not address this vulnerability, we can’t expect the Red Sox to make it very far in the postseason, if they make it there at all. Luckily, there may be a few transformational bats on the market that the Red Sox can take an interest in. Let’s take a look at three such hitters who have been labeled trade candidates by insiders. 

Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves

Ozuna came off a fantastic 2024. This season, however, Ozuna is battling a hip injury, which has chipped away at his elite production. The Big Bear is hitting .247/.379/.406 with 11 home runs on the year. Even though his production has dipped drastically, his .379 OBP alone should intrigue any team enough to at least ask the Braves about him. 

Still, this doesn’t scrape the surface of what he is capable of. Over the past two years, he hit a whopping 79 home runs. For the Red Sox, it should be overwhelmingly enticing just to see how his power plays with the Green Monster.

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has already made clear that Atlanta will be buyers. However, at 6.5 games back in the wild-card race, one has to wonder if he will take the opportunity to trade Ozuna, who is in his walk year and would bring back a nice package.

Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles

O’Hearn is one of the more intriguing options on the market. After years of being more of a platoon player, the Orioles first baseman/outfielder is hitting .301/.384/.485 with 11 home runs. There is a lot to like about O’Hearn this season. The Red Sox could even use him at first base and trade for another plus hitter to take over at DH.

The Orioles are having a severely disappointing year. At 7.5 games back in the wild-card race and trailing the entire AL East, they’re obvious sellers. And in his walk year, O’Hearn leaving Baltimore is just about guaranteed.

Josh Naylor, Arizona Diamondbacks

Naylor, the Diamondbacks first baseman, is also putting up a memorable season. A first-time All-Star last year, Naylor is posting a .307/.363/.479 slash with 10 home runs. 

Just last season, Naylor posted a career-high 31 home runs, which would be transformational for the Red Sox if he can replicate it while maintaining his high batting average.

Naylor is in his walk year; however, with a 41-39 record, the Diamondbacks are only three games back in the wild-card race. Arizona GM Mike Hazen has already given his intention to buy. Unless the many injuries start to really hamper the team, Naylor stays in the desert.