Red Sox Would Have Kept Rafael Devers If One Thing Happened, Analyst Says

Was Boston not dead-set on trading Devers?

Jun 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants infielder Rafael Devers (16) during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox are still reeling from the Rafael Devers trade.

Well, their fans are, at least. 

Jarren Duran and other Red Sox players actually didn’t reveal a ton of emotion when discussing Devers in recent days, leading to speculation that a split may have been best for clubhouse vibes.

Even so, fans and analysts alike are still wondering what could have been if the Devers position change drama had simply been handled better on all sides.

One of the most outspoken and beloved Red Sox media voices is NESN’s Lou Merloni, who is never afraid to interact bluntly with fans on X.

When a fan asserted to Merloni that Devers would have played first base if promised he’d stay at the position moving forward, Merloni stepped in to correct the fan.

“That is not true,” Merloni stated. “If he was willing to TRY to play 1B, he'd still be here.”

It’s an interesting thing to think about. Was the Devers situation really that fragile, that a simple decision like the one Merloni described could have prevented the Red Sox from trading their $300-plus million superstar in his prime?

While it’s difficult to discount Merloni and anything he puts out there, it does feel like there was more going on behind the scenes with Devers and the team’s front office, such that a trade was inevitable, if not this summer, then sometime in the near future.

Perhaps Merloni is suggesting that Boston would have decided to ride out the season with Devers at first base before looking for trades this winter.

We’ll never know, and now Devers is wearing a San Francisco Giants uniform.

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