The Rafael Devers Trade Return Package for the Boston Red Sox

I honestly don’t know where to begin. This trade came out of nowhere. Kind of.

My son Adam told me last night that it might not be the biggest trade he remembers in his lifetime of 21 years, but it’s definitely the most shocking one.

Hours after the Red Sox swept the Yankees at Fenway Park, seemingly catapulting themselves back into the American League playoff hunt (although we’re not even to the All-Star break), news broke that Boston had traded their “face of the franchise,” Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants, along with all 9 years and $257 million left of his contract, including this season’s portion. Because the Giants are assuming all of the contact, the Sox are not netting San Francisco’s top prospect Bryce Eldridge or any of their current top tier farmhands, except for one.

All of Red Sox Nation wants to know about the return, because the return for Mookie, Xander and Sale did not impress. Which players are coming to Boston now? Four players are, including one former top prospect, one current top 3 prospect, a Major League sometimes starter and sometimes reliever, and a prospect not even in our Giants Top 50. I’ll do my best to stay sane and break down this return.

Jordan Hicks, RHP, 28, MLB (IL)
It’s been a rollercoaster of a young career for Hicks so far. He was a 3rd round pick out of high school in 2015 for St. Louis, and got to the big leagues in 2018 as a 21-year-old, throwing triple-digit fire out of the bullpen. The Houston native settled into somewhat of a closer role and locked down 20 saves across 2018-2019, and then the pandemic hit. That did not help him, as he decided to opt out and did not play at all during the Covid-shortened 2020 season. Hicks was mostly late inning, high-leverage for the Cardinals, and then Blue Jays, in 2022-2023, but last year the Giants asked him to reinvent himself and made him a starter, with mixed results. This year, in 13 games (9 games started), he has not been good, and now he’s on the Injured List. Does he slot into the Boston rotation or go to the bullpen when he’s back healthy. I cannot answer that with 100% assuredness, but I would assume he’s a reliever for Boston.

Kyle Harrison, LHP, 23, MLB
“Harrison now has to become the dominant lefty that he was expected to be when he was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.” Adam Greene (@aj_greene1015)

Boston has already optioned Harrison to Triple-A Worcester. They want to see his arsenal in the minors before letting him loose at Fenway. The 23-year-old lefty has struggled this season and is clearly not the ace the industry has been expecting. Through 23.2 IP so far in 2025, he’s allowed 21 hits and 12 earned runs, to the tune of 4.56 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. His 9.5 K/9 is decent, but look for him to potentially make a couple tweaks and improvements in Worcester, and that strikeout ratio could increase when he is promoted to Boston. It’s the same question with Hicks though. Where does he slot in – rotation or bullpen? Harrison will be more likely to enter the Sox rotation, but I would not be surprised to see him used as a power lefty in late innings. Take some workload off Brennan Bernardino. Time will tell.

James Tibbs III, OF, 22, High-A
Tibbs was our 3rd ranked prospect in the Giants farm system heading into this season. This is what @ShaunKernahan had to say about him in our Giants Top 50 column, published back on February 8.

Drafted 13th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Tibbs is currently in High-A, having played in 56 games for the Eugene Emeralds. Primarily a right fielder this season, he’s slashing .245/.377/.480/.857, with 12 HR and 32 RBI. He’ll report to Greenville, complement an already strong Drive lineup, and with a solid performance, should see Hadlock Field in Double-A Portland before the summer is over. Do the Red Sox need another top OF prospect at this point? Not necessarily, as they have “The Password” Jhostynxon Garcia waiting in the wings in Worcester.

106 mph | 420 ft for James Tibbs III on his 11th homer of the year, tying for the @SFGiants org lead ⚡️

The 2024 first-rounder has gone deep seven times in his past 13 games for the High-A @EugeneEmeralds. pic.twitter.com/ZdnzxYOdrY

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 6, 2025

Jose Bello, RHP, 20, Rookie (ACL)
To be completely honest, I had never heard of this player. He was not in our preseason Giants Top 50 prospects. Thanks to David Gasper (@dgasper24) for reaching out (to calm me down), and let me know he’s pitched well in 18 innings at Rookie ball this season. Rookie ball! Bello, no relation to Brayan, hails from the Dominican Republic and was signed as a 17-year-old in 2023. He debuted in the Dominican Summer League that summer as an 18-year-old and pitched 33 innings. Last summer he tossed 25.1 innings in the DSL and then made his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League, getting in one game. Now 20, Bello is impressing in Complex ball, posting a 2.00 ERA in 18 IP (all in relief), with 28 strikeouts and two saves. He’s years away from making any impact at the MLB level.

So what do you think? Seems light to me for one of the top sluggers in the game, under contract for the next DECADE. Hit me up on Twitter @Scotty_Ballgame, or leave your comments below, and we’ll get through this together.