Giants' Buster Posey Sums Up Exactly Why Red Sox Shouldn't Have Traded Rafael Devers

Posey saw a great player and he took his opportunity

Dec 12, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey speaks during the introductory press conference for shortstop Willy Adames (not pictured) at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Buster Posey saw his opportunity, and he took it.

The San Francisco Giants' president of baseball operations has only been on the job for eight months. But he was also a Hall of Fame-worthy catcher in his playing career, and he believes that superstar bats are worth cherishing.

Posey pulled off a shocking deal on Sunday, acquiring former Boston Red Sox third baseman/designated hitter Rafael Devers for a four-player package that included neither a slam-dunk prospect nor a major leaguer having even a half-decent season.

Truthfully, the biggest concession Posey gave the Red Sox was eating the full remaining value of the $313.5 million contract Devers signed in 2023, which adds up to just over $250 million over the next 8 1/2 years.

When asked why he did the trade, Posey gave a succinct, perfect answer that will have Red Sox fans throwing their hands to the sky in exasperation.

“The bat is so special. It’s really hard to acquire this type of talent at this point of his career," Posey said, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. "It felt like this was a chance to take a shot.”

It's truly so simple when you look at the deal from the Giants' perspective. Devers has a .905 OPS, the 12th-best mark in Major League Baseball this season. Their best hitter so far, Heliot Ramos, had an .824 mark.

Of course, on Boston's end, things were much more complicated. This was a franchise player who had made waves for months because he was resisting and sometimes fully refusing requests from the front office. But that front office deserves plenty of criticism for its poor communication, which cultivated mistrust.

Posey was a difficult caliber of baseball player from Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Devers and Breslow had a falling out, that much is clear, but Posey will earn his respect. And Posey will have a plan in place for Devers, whether it's continuing to serve as designated hitter or make a move to first base, where the Giants have had issues all season.

But most of all, Posey will get to sit in his suite every night at Oracle Park and watch Devers bat in the middle of his team's order. It's one of the best luxuries an executive can have, and the Red Sox somehow bungled it away.

More MLB: Red Sox's Reason For Bombshell Rafael Devers-Giants Trade Revealed