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Trevor Story Makes Wild Rafael Devers Claim After Red Sox Traded Star to Giants

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Goodwyn | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 1:15 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox have another gaping hole in their lineup after dealing designated hitter Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. Considering that Devers is among the best sluggers in baseball, replacing his productivity will be no small task.

Devers has been away from the Red Sox for just over a week, but he still leads the team in many offensive categories. In some statistics, like home runs (15, two more than Wilyer Abreu) and runs scored (47, five more than Cedanne Rafaela), he maintains narrow advantages.

But in many others, he is far ahead of the next-best Red Sox hitter. Devers drove in 58 runs (19 more than Trevor Story), walked 56 times (27 more than Kristian Campbell), hit at a .272 clip (.015 higher than Jarren Duran), and possessed a .905 OPS (.186 higher than Duran) in 73 games with the team this season.

The importance of Devers' bat in the Red Sox's lineup is something Story has recognized in his two years with the franchise, and he does not deny that the offense is lagging behind where it used to be before the trade. But Story feels the Red Sox can still find ways to succeed without Devers around.

"You miss his bat for sure. You miss his presence. But it’s not something that, in the game we’re like, ‘Oh man, where’s Raffy?’ It’s not that type of feeling," Story said, via The Boston Globe's Tim Healey. "We have a lot of confidence in the players we have here."

It may take some time for the Red Sox to adjust without Devers' offensive contributions, though. The team is in the midst of a four-game losing streak, and it is now below .500. Their most recent loss, a 3-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels, featured a strong start from Garrett Crochet (seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts) but just five hits on offense.

Only time will tell whether the Red Sox truly miss Devers' productivity so much that they acquire another high-profile player ahead of the trade deadline.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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