When Did Red Sox Decide To Trade Rafael Devers To Giants? MLB Insider Reports

There have been few moves more stunning in the history of Major League Baseball.

The Boston Red Sox's trade of superstar designated hitter Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday was one for the ages. Coming off a sweep of their biggest rival, the Red Sox traded their best hitter less than two years into a 10-year, $313.5 million extension.

A lot had to go wrong between player and front office to arrive at a point where a trade was possible. Devers, a three-time All-Star, was hurt by how the organization treated him from spring training onward, and eventually, the relationship became untenable.

We may never know, and the Red Sox may never fully admit when they decided trade Devers. But one insider's report shows a pretty major clue.

On Sunday night, Sean McAdam of MassLive reported that the May 9 meeting between Red Sox ownership and Devers in Kansas City had little to no effect, which likely marked a point of no return in the relationship.

"Even as he performed in the batter’s box, there was frustration on the part of the team. When principal ownerJohn Henry made the extraordinary move to fly to Kansas City to meet with Devers the day after Devers went public with his rebuke of Breslow, it achieved little if anything," McAdam wrote.

McAdam had more concrete information on the wheels getting in motion on the trade talks with the Giants, which seemingly began in the final hours before the Red Sox's series against the New York Yankees, which they somehow swept to get above .500.

"Late Friday afternoon, some 90 minutes before the team was to begin a weekend series with the New York Yankees, Cora cancelled some previously scheduled media obligations because of some meetings in his office," McAdam wrote.

"It’s believed that the notion of dealing Devers to the Giants began there, with talks continuing throughout the weekend and culminating late Sunday afternoon."

The Red Sox mulled over the trade for two days before pulling the trigger. But it will take fans much, much longer to process why a team that has been through so much turmoil over the last half-decade decided to cut ties with yet another superstar.