A mere hours after completing a three-game sweep of the Yankees (42-28) on Sunday, the Red Sox (37-36) executed one of the most shocking trades in the history of the franchise, trading designated hitter Rafael Devers to the Giants (41-31) for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks, along with a pair of minor leaguers - the Giants' No. 4 overall prospect James Tibbs and pitcher Jose Bello.
The baseball world was in shock, Red Sox fans were in disbelief, and all the positive momentum this team had going for it after winning eight of their last 10 games felt gone in an instant.
With Boston just a half-game out of a wild card spot in the American League before heading to the west coast for a nine-game road trip, they will now attempt to keep the good times rolling without a player who had become their best hitter over the last two months after a historically bad start to his 2025 season.
The last remaining member of this ownership group’s fourth World Series-winning team is gone, and it’s that ownership group that is the focus of Red Sox Nation’s anger on Monday morning as they try to make sense of a trade that still feels fake given the current state of the team.
Count WEEI’s Chris Curtis as a member of the fanbase who’s completely fed up with Fenway Sports Group in the wake of yet another mindboggling trade of a franchise legend.
“So John Henry came in and did brilliant things,” said Curtis on Monday’s Greg Hill Show. “He fixed Fenway Park in a way that nobody could have ever envisioned it. He helped the team win their first World Series in 86 years, and then he won three more. Great, love it. Thank you. [But] something happened along the way where he saw the profitability of the Red Sox and realized that he needs to be doing this in many other places.
“I would just like to say that if you are going to Fenway Park, you should understand that what you're paying for that ticket, what you're spending on that City Connect jersey for $300 - whatever you're doing is not going directly to the organization. It's like charities, right? You know how they grade charities - you know, the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber is really good, like 88-89 cents of every dollar goes directly to patient care, that type of thing. With the Red Sox, it's feeling more and more like about 20% of what you spend is actually going to support the team that you're watching.
“And I am, I guess, unhinged. I am enraged. I am so grateful at the opportunity I have to talk about sports in Boston, because the fans that support these teams are the best in the world. It is a part of your daily life in a way that is hard to describe. I saw this post by Joon Lee about how when Roman Anthony made his debut - when the top prospect arrives in Boston, the city's vibe changes. And he's right. That whole afternoon and evening, there was this palpable expectation and hope related to a baseball player coming from Worcester to Boston. And this ownership group has taken advantage of that.
“They have used their fans to profit in other ways, and that is despicable. And it's not illegal, it's just not - I believe it to be unseemly. And what happened yesterday was the culmination of an owner that has joined the Economic Reform Committee, who uses the Red Sox as a means to prop up other entities, and is no longer championship-driven in any way, shape or form. And if you feel the way I feel, there's many ways you can decide to act, but I would not give this ownership group my trust going forward.”
Earlier in the hour, Curtis proclaimed that this was the most shocking Red Sox trade in his lifetime, and that he believes the primary reason for the move was offloading the entirety of his remaining (roughly) $250 million contract.
“I think it's Wiggy’s coach Bill Parcells who said that if somebody shows you who they are, believe them,” said the longtime morning show producer. “And I am out entirely with this ownership group.
“They're just total and complete charlatans. And for Sam Kennedy to go on last week and - listen, Devers has been an issue. Obviously, it's a bigger issue than even we may have thought. The timing is inexcusable. Deal with it for the next 85 games, whatever it is. Go into the offseason and maybe call a couple people entering next year.
“What Sam Kennedy said last week, saying that, ‘If we need him, he'll be out there. He's the best hitter.’ Like, I know this is going to get people in this building sensitive, but there's no other way to put it than - this group is very comfortable lying to its fans.”
Amidst all the insanity surrounding this trade, the team will be back on the field tonight at T-Mobile Park to take on the Mariners (36-34), with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. Lucas Giolito (2-1, 5.45 ERA) gets the start for Boston, with Logan Gilbert (1-1, 2.37 ERA) on the mound for Seattle.
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