Red Sox Predicted To Make 'Huge Moves' With Savings From Rafael Devers Trade

The Boston Red Sox have created another test for themselves to pass.

In the past five years, the Red Sox haven't always acted like a big-market team. They built some goodwill in that regard this winter with the additions of Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman, then immediately tore it down by trading superstar slugger Rafael Devers.

Now that Devers is gone, the Red Sox have to prove they can make good use of the $254.5 million they saved by offloading his entire contract to the San Francisco Giants. That was the biggest prize they won in the deal, which happened in large part because Boston's relationship with Devers had soured.

Red Sox radio play-by-play announcer Will Flemming has faith that the team will put that money to good use.

On Monday, Flemming predicted that the Red Sox would make some blockbuster additions with their savings from the Devers contract, perhaps as soon as this month's trade deadline. during his appearance on "WEEI Afternoons."

"This is the show where I make predictions," Flemming said. "But absolutely, there is every intention to make huge moves coming up in the next month or so. I really believe that. I've been right about a lot of this before and I'm right about it again."

Flemming acknowledged the possibility that the big-spending moves wouldn't come until the offseason, but he was adamant that the Red Sox didn't intend to simply pocket their savings.

"It's not like they traded him because they didn't want to pay the money. That's ridiculous," Flemming said. "The money's gone, and guess what? They're sitting on it. And they want to spend it."

Lastly, Flemming had a strong inclination, based on the tendencies of chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, as to what sorts of players the Red Sox would target.

"Look at the people that he makes huge bids on," Flemming said. "Juan Soto, Garrett Crochet. Younger players with a lot of runway left. I think you just look at the young people in the game who might be expendable or tradeable for teams that are losing, and I think they're going to be aggressive on all of those people."

Some Bostonians are rightfully feeling snakebitten about the Devers trade. But history will judge the deal on how well the Red Sox reallocate his money, and for that matter, how much of it they spend in the near future.

If Flemming's notions prove correct, the fan base might be ever-so-slightly placated in the months ahead.