July 24: The Red Sox formally announced that they’ve selected the contract of Devers, with Robbie Ross Jr. heading to the 60-day disabled list to create a roster spot. Righty Kyle Martin was optioned to Triple-A to clear a spot on the active roster.
July 23: The Red Sox will promote third base prospect Rafael Devers, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced to the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato (Twitter link) and other reporters. Devers will join the team in Seattle tomorrow and make his Major League debut on Tuesday when the Red Sox face the Mariners (hat tip to MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey).
[Updated Red Sox depth chart at Roster Resource]
Rumors have swirled for weeks about Devers’ eventual call to the big leagues, especially since Boston’s struggles at third base made it more obvious that it was a matter of “when” and not “if” the 20-year-old would get his first taste of the Show this season. Devers has helped his cause by posting big numbers in the minors this season, though somewhat curiously, he has only spent little over a week at the Triple-A level after spending much of the year at Double-A.
It could be that the Sox simply wanted to get Devers one final bit of seasoning before adding him to their 25-man roster, as Devers posted a .992 OPS in his 34-plate appearance stint for Triple-A Pawtucket. Overall this season, Devers has a .305/.373/.575 slash line and 20 homers over 354 PA at the two minor league levels.
[MLBTR’s Red Sox News & Rumors page on Facebook]
Devers has been staple of top-100 prospects lists for the last three seasons, including high finishes in Baseball Prospectus’ midseason top-50 ranking (fifth overall) and Baseball America’s top-100 list (sixth overall). MLB.com listed Devers as the best prospect in Boston’s system and the best overall third baseman prospect in the sport, praising “his prodigious power to all fields” while also noting his improvement as a well-rounded hitter.
There is some question as to whether Devers can handle third base over the long term, though for now, the Red Sox will happily take whatever possibly upgrade they can find at the position. Red Sox third basemen have combined for a garish .224/.284/.307 slash line and -0.7 fWAR this season, making the hot corner a notable weak link in an otherwise solid Boston lineup. Pablo Sandoval again failed to live up to expectations for the Sox, and alternatives like Brock Holt, Marco Hernandez and Josh Rutledge were plagued by injury or underperformance.
The left-handed hitting Devers will be the starter against right-handed pitching for now, so he’ll get a little under a week to show the Sox what he can do prior to the trade deadline. The Red Sox have been linked to a wide range of third base options in trade rumors, so if Devers hits well even in a small sample size, it may convince Dombrowski and company that the team only needs to acquire a part-time infielder, or even stick with their in-house backups. If Devers looks overmatched at the big league level, however, the Sox will likely continue looking for a third baseman that can play every day.
Photo courtesy of Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports Images
rjfeeman24
Wow. I believe it is too early. A sign that the sox front office is giving up on acquisitions
yankees25
lol Dave will never give up on that
BadlyBent
Truth. Giants and Mets are laughing at his lame attempt to say “I don’t need you”. Honestly though, he doesn’t. He pays dearly in the long term for marginal immediate improvements.
hitdog042
Yeah. That Chris Sale guy is marginal improvement.
Connorsoxfan
Who? Lol
thekid9
Thank you Johnny Superscout
rjfeeman24
I remember my first comment
staxxxxxxxxx
Was it, “Wow. I believe it is too early. A sign that the sox front office is giving up on acquisitions”? If it was, I’m unimpressed.
Kayrall
Dave is pretty notorious for promoting top prospects earlier than they probably should be.
TheMichigan
Turner, Miller, Wilk, Perry, Smyly are a few examples. Verlander was up the year after he was drafted too.
Bald Vinny
Porcello too.
bleacherbum
Cameron Maybin
Michael Chaney
It’s working with Benintendi though
stymeedone
Dave did this in Detroit, too. He uses up options unnecessarily.
hitdog042
Cause that’s a factor in Boston? Are you high?
kleppy12
Options are a factor for every team in baseball, even the Red Sox don’t want to get stuck in the situation of having to choose between keeping a guy who is not ready on the active roster or (theoretically) releasing a top prospect, that’s how GM’s lose their jobs.
Bill Chabassol
Not necessarily. They needed to get him up at least once this season, so whether it’s now, or in September, it was going to happen. Without a call-up this season, they almost definitely would have lost him in the Rule 5 this winter. Maybe a tad premature, but he was getting called up this season regardless of what we think of Dombrowski.
Bruin1012
Devers isn’t even eligible for the Rule 5 draft at the end of the season he hasn’t played 5 years in the minors yet so that isn’t even a consideration at this point.
hitdog042
It’s a factor for teams who can’t re sign players when they finally hit FA and lower payroll teams.
Zero factor here. None.
Pilzbrydroboy
Devers could be ready…. Worse case scenerio they send him back down for another year
Pilzbrydroboy
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oztimes2
Finally
GeauxRangers
He’s played 8 games at AAA…
tharrie0820
Pretty sure that’s more than benitendi played
GeauxRangers
Not the point
Ace121
9
chuckymorris
So this means they won’t be in the market for a 3rd baseman?
trace
Were they ever?
Connorsoxfan
Uh yeah
Coast1
Not a major one but if they’re smart they could trade for a veteran fallback option like Eduardo Núñez. Devers might not be ready, a la Moncada last year, and it couldn’t hurt to have someone if there’s a September injury to an infielder.
greensquirrel
lol @ Eduardo Nunez. another prospect not good enough for the yankees, but anything is good enough for the sox apparently
Connorsoxfan
Isn’t he hitting like .300 with a good obp? He plays solid defense and can steal bases. What’s not to like?
Deke
He is and he’s playing half his games in AT&T. Pretty sure he’d hit even better in a more hitter friendly park.
pdubs2907
Eduardo Nunez isn’t a prospect dumbass
JT19
There seem to be a lot of former Yankees who play well elsewhere…David Phelps, Justin Wilson, Eduardo Nunez, Francisco Cervelli, Ivan Nova, Ben Gamel. But I’m sure you’re right that these players just aren’t good enough for the Yankees?
Connorsoxfan
And since when is a .300 hitter considered a fallback option? It’s not just the BA either he’s performing well all around.
kleppy12
LOL @ how dumb some people can be. Nunez played SS for the Yankees ( I assume that was the “prospect” comment) and now they have Didi, so lets take a look at their stats side by side since Didi became a Yankee (2015) Ave. Didi – 265 (’15), 276 (16′), and 304 (’17) for Nunez – 282 (’15), 288 (’16) and 305 (’17), advantage Nunez. Slugging? Didi 370, 447, 495: Nunez – 431, 432, 414, slight advantage Did (426 vs 437 in that time frame). OPB? Didi 318, 304, 335: Nunez 327, 325, 330, advantage, Nunez HR’s? Didi 9, 20, 14: Nunez 4, 16, 4, advantage Didi. SB’s? Didi 5, 7, 2: Nunez 8, 40, 17., advantage Nunez. Add to that, Nunez played half the amount of games as Did in ;15 so it would be more like 8 HR’s and 16 SB’s . That is all on just raw numbers, if you get into things like wOBA or WRC+ which show how good someone has actually been then Nunez is by far better than Didi. . Didi is probably a slightly better fielder but Didi still isn’t anything special so it”s not like he’s Byron Buxton where he literally wins games for you just with his defense. All in all at best it’s a draw but I would actually say Nunez has been better overall but yeah you’re right he wasn’t good enough for the Yankees.
rocky7
YOU’re nuts if you think Nunez is better than Didi….don’t care what your “stats” say.
The Yankees got rid of Nunez due to what they perceived as him achieving his ceiling both defensively and offensively.
He would and can drive you crazy with his consistency when he was with the Yanks. Maybe he has found a way to smooth all that out but to say the Didi is anything but stunning with a glove…not the best in the league but certainly in the top 10 when considering his offense and defense is just plain nuts.
Koodle
Welp
nmendoza44
The Yankees stealing Frazier from them basically forced their hand with this.
thekid9
A guy hitting near the Mendoza line it’s stealing… its doing the other team a favor.
greensquirrel
yeah, just like Starlin Castro. another ALL STAR steal working out great!! you are so short sighted lol
Connorsoxfan
Castro is signed for a few more years. Frazier is signed for the next 2 months. I’d go as far to say Frazier was without a doubt the 3rd piece in that deal. Frazier doesn’t have good stats this year, and the projections aren’t a lot better. If you had any brain matter whatsoever you’d know that Frazier can’t even be an “ALL STAR steal” for the Yankees because he’s a rental.
hodor 3
His history points to positive regression. Yankees bought very low.
Bald Vinny
Paying him 9M a year is not buying low.
hodor 3
Says the fan of the team paying several massively high contracts. I think the Yanks can afford one partial year contract.
davbee
Judging a hitter by batting average? Are you posting from 1975?
stymeedone
Is your sight so myopic that you only look a some of the stats. It was basically a one line statement, not a thesis. How many different stat references did you want him to mention?
greensquirrel
uses the word ‘myopic’ = arrogant, ignorant, no nothing, voted for Hillary hipster lol
Pedro Cerrano's Voodoo
Yes plenty of people still do this.
Boston1897
You’re such a kind person
Boston1897
What a kind person you are
chevyheston
Yes and he’d be having a crappy season in 1975, too.
antonio bananas
we want him to mention relevant stats. BA isn’t one of them. it’s not 1975.
davidcoonce74
I believe the word you are looking for is “know nothing.”
Connorsoxfan
It’s funny because you said “no nothing” and called him ignorant. Who’s the real know nothing?
davbee
105 OPS at the time of the trade and 1.6 WAR. Frazier has been productive if not spectacular.
trace
Stealing Frazier? How do you figure? Forcing their hand? Perhaps Dever IS the one that is forcing his promotion, his stats are nice to look at.
greensquirrel
minor league stats mean nothing if they don’t translate to The Show
greensquirrel
lol @ this
trace
It takes two to tangle and the willingness to see if he can play in “The Show.
TraderRyan9
He wont any worse than what they have or had up to this point. Devers has nothing to prove in the minors.
I’ll bet he is wayyy better than moncada
greensquirrel
the expression is ‘it takes two to _tango_’ .. not tangle
stymeedone
That’s why they get called up; to find out if they translate (your term).
greensquirrel
not my term, but thanks for the credit lol
stymeedone
I thought you used the word out of context, but I wanted you to understand .
greensquirrel
I understand perfectly what I’m saying, but thanks for the ‘lesson’, Gramps.
Pedro Cerrano's Voodoo
If you’re going to criticize someone’s intelligence and grammar at least be certain your own is impeccable.
JKurk22
That’s funny coming from a Yankees fan. And I’m not a Sox fan.
badco44
Well how about this logic… they are looking for a left handed bat….Devers is a SH, and two they have professed to not break the cap, so let’s try to keep that in mind also. I don’t think the young man is ready but it’s a poker game guys and who else needs a thirdbaseman in this turkey shoot? … DD is posturing
empiresam
The Sox could only have made the same trade with the Chisox if they could havr unloaded Panda and part of his salary. The luxury tax ramifications made it otherwise impossible never mind it would have cost Sam Travis most likely.
stymeedone
No problem, kid.
bosox55
Devers is a lefty, not a switch hitter.
DanielDannyDano
*tango
Bruin1012
Looks like he handled Chapman’s 103 you clown.
qbass187
Exactly!
chevyheston
Yeah, that was a real steal. They picked up a guy who’s batting. 203 and has 2 hits in about 16 at-bats with the Yanks and no ribbies. So yeah, blockbuster deal there.
antonio bananas
16 at-bats!?!? whew, that’s like…..one series……….
Rickeo02
I wouldnt want Frazier for free
RedlegRocket53
Okay
Koodle
Now they’re gonna make the World Series but David price is gonna blow it
greensquirrel
price is so overrated
badco44
Yeah Mr let me hang anouther slider…
Connorsoxfan
He’s not overrated people in Boston have been absolutely trashing him since he arrived.
hodor 3
Money and rep… yeah he’s pitching like he’s overrated.
hitdog042
For good reason. He’s an A Hole.
hodor 3
Toronto seems to breed all A-MEN players. JD, Joey Bats, Price, EE, etc.
hodor 3
Toronto seems to breed all A-hole players. JD, Joey Bats, Price, EE, etc.
Stupid auto-correct.
Michael Birks
How about Price plus $80 million for Justin Verlander
TheChanceyColborn
Not unexpected at this point
greensquirrel
haha love the desperation move. welcome to the beginning of the downward spiral, unfortunate sox fans
Connorsoxfan
How is this a desperation move?? This doesn’t lock them into him for life, they can just send him back down if it doesn’t work out. It’s probably just Dombrowski trying to leverage teams if he starts well.
bosox55
Not only is Devers one of the best power hitting prospects in baseball, he is one of the best pure hitting prospects as well, Devers will have no problem being an enormous improvement over what the Sox have been getting from 3B.
bigchiefbc
This could just be posturing to show they don’t NEED a 3b
imindless
What happened to Henry Owens?
trace
What does that have to do with this topic?
Connorsoxfan
You are the reason comment sections suck.
Connorsoxfan
He got sent down to AA and he still has no control of his pitches.
downeysoft42
Or velocity
Michael Birks
What happened to Jesus Montero?
soxfan1
Might as well figure out what they have in Devers before they overpay for Nunez, Kendrick, Lowrie etc
Coast1
I doubt they’ll make a judgment what they have after Devers plays for a week.
vinscully16
Good idea. Bring him up, see how he looks.
User 4245925809
Exactly. They did it with Moncada last year to see if he might be ready at 21. Might as well with devers at 20. Can possibly push Chavis a bit with some AAA experience also
Raphysanxez
Awesome!!
GMB 883
Doesn’t look like desperation when he’s tearing it up in AAA as well. Went 4-4 in his first game with HR. This might also be DD’s way of telling other teams we don’t need your 3B. I think they are going to trade for a DH and play Hanley at 1B with Moreland playing once or twice a week.
greensquirrel
hahaha yeah good luck with that
Cam
The majority of the hate here is from bitter fans who wish their team had a quality prospect like him to bring up.
Bottom line is, they have a need at the spot, and he’s absolutely crushed minor league pitching this year. It makes total sense.
The sheep will always come out in herds and criticize, of course.
Bruin1012
Not surprised by this at all. There are no impact third baseman available at all it seems so why not. Devers killed it in AA and hitting real well in his short stint at AAA. This is a good move see what the kid has offensively he will add power for sure. I’m thinking the asking prices for even what should be cheap rentals is too high and this is DD’s way of moving on. I’m sure he would trade for Nunez if the price is right.
antonio bananas
I’m an agnostic fan to this (Braves fan, I don’t care about 2017 playoff races, much less the AL East) and I agree. It makes sense. It makes no sense to trade future value for a rental that probably isn’t as good as in-house options.
BillKni39
This is purely a desperation move which is going to backfire big time . He is Not Ready Defensively..period…as a hitter needs more seasoning in triple A… The front office put themselves in the position of being backed into a wall and trade partners know this plus I still say Farell must go . Not the guy to lead a young ball club. Drombo made a huge mistake letting Louvello go.
badco44
Yeah but you can’t hold Lovello back forever. He deserved his shot
Connorsoxfan
Right and they should’ve fired Farrell and given it to him.
Bruin1012
Once again who says Devers can’t play third base because that just isn’t true he is average at worst defensively at this point. Scouts just don’t know if he can stick there long term that he may grow out of the position.
antonio bananas
defense peaks at like 22. if he’s not ML ready by 20 for 3B, he never will be. he’s a great bat, better than the rentals. I don’t see desperation here, just a common sense move.
thegreatcerealfamine
Where in the hell did you come up with that one?
hitdog042
Lol. False all the way across the board. But funny u actually believe that.
BTW. Devers was the Red Sox 2016 minor league defensive player of the year.
It’s not like he has never flashed the glove.
stephenjcoelho
Devers is ready and better than Frazier.
greensquirrel
lol! says a guy who is clearly an ignorant homer and knows little about baseball. talk to me in a month when your ‘star ‘ is 0- for – everything
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
The loudest Boos come from the cheapest seats. – Babe Ruth
greensquirrel
good quote. i assume referring to the trash that frequents the derelict stadium that is Fenway
ellisburks
Do you even know baseball or just like the sound of your own voice?
JKurk22
Fenway is the greatest stadium in sports. You’re a moron. And I’m a Braves fan. I love our new park, but Fenway is a masterpiece. You just hate the Sox and will spout off anything. MLBTR would be better off if people like you didn’t comment. Honestly it’s people like you that make me wish they would take the comment section away.
water boy
Hey dude, you’ve trashed everyone within this forum that doesn’t agree with your comments.
You employ your intellect like a club to beat people. When you resort to trashing others you are not more intelligent you’re just mean spirited.
chevyheston
You mean when he’s hitting like Frazier?
Connorsoxfan
^^ this
Michael Birks
Down goes Frazier
bosox55
I saw Devers play in Portland many times this year, he is possibly the best hitting prospect I’ve ever seen, not the least bit of exaggeration.
hodor 3
Lol
hitdog042
Well you will be on your 97th Id by then so we won’t get to talk to you.
Bruin1012
Yup O for everything you are probably the stupidest poster on this site. You were right about one thing the Yankees wish the rookie was never called up.
TraderRyan9
What more does he have to prove at the plate in the minors?
trace
His path is quite clear when Dombrowski didn’t make a trade. Imagine Dombrowski not making trades.
Connorsoxfan
I know right that’s how I know he’s sold on him.
badco44
No doubt he has tore it up but as everyone knows MLB is about adjustments. And it takes an almost impossible strong 20 to handle it. 2) That Sox lineup is desperate for some power… he has had minors power but don’t see him as that type this early at the majors… as far as the guy that’s throwing names around and about Fenway … they call that cheap shots where I’m from… grow up
Michael Birks
There’s some truth to that, Aaron Judge sucked last year in September and seems to be doing pretty well now
kyredsox17
Good call. Let’s see what he has. I don’t think there’s anyone worth going to get over Brock Holt. I like to dream about Beltre returning but that would cost quite a bit. Now go get an impact Pen arm.
stymeedone
Calling a 20 yr old up after 8 days at AAA, does not seem to be the best formula for developing prospects. It very well may work out. But it could also end up like the White Sox Beckham, where he was never given the opportunity to learn to adjust, before getting the call. It’s a risky move, mostly for Dever’s career.
Bruin1012
The guy hit real well at AA that is the biggest jump in the Minors from high A to AA lots of good prospects jump from AA to Majors. He is young and there will be a lot of pressure but the guy can hit and is really maturing fast it doesn’t seem like to much of a reach.
firstbleed
Agree it’s risky but Miguel Sano, Manny Machado, Mike Trout, etc all skipped AAA and went straight to the majors.
Bruin1012
So did Andrew Benintendi last year.
antonio bananas
1) he can still be sent down
this isn’t that much different than a september call up
2) Sox probably win the division regardless of how he plays
3) he’s as good or better than all of the rentals available, so why not?
rycm131
Prob bringing him up to showcase him for a trade?
trace
There’s no chance of that.
greensquirrel
lol it’s great when homers with no baseball knowledge speak matter- of -factly with nothing at all to back it up
TheMichigan
Except it doesn’t make sense to trade Devers. They have no holes that need serious addressing that are worth Devers. They have pitching, they traded Moncada for pitching. They are not going to trade near MLB ready third base prospect for an existing third baseman. That’s counter productive. First base, and maybe catcher is their buggiest holes. But it’s not like they need to trade Devers to secure a rental.
They are fine as they are Morelands defense makes up for his subpar offense. Same with Vasquez.
Connorsoxfan
Wait you literally just described every comment you’ve posted
rycm131
I consider myself a “big insider”…who is the GM? What does he do? Two words: Giancarlo Stanton
Bruin1012
I think we already established that is not going to happen Stanton’s contract makes him not that valuable. Especially when Marlin fans think they should get Benintendi plus for him and the Sox take on other bad contracts.
Polish Hammer
Showcase? They’d leave him at AA crushing pitching to showcase a guy over rushing him to the majors and watching him flailing away.
mcase7187
People keep saying it’s dumb for them to call him up with such little time in triple a or it’s to soon we’ll they did this before with Mookie and AB and it worked but they also did it with jbj and Owens and failed so it’s hit or miss it’s just to see what they have if he can do better right now then what they have then they can focus on something else at the trade deadline like pitching or a power bat so stop calling it a big mistake there is still a week before the trade deadline
Bruin1012
Mookie, Jackie, and Owens all got seasoning in AAA and were not called directly from AA. The only recent Red Sox I am aware of going straight from AA in AB oh and also Lin but he was more of a we need a healthy body not a big time prospect. Some of the very best big leaguers have skipped AA the biggest jump is from High to to AA and Devers handled that flawlessly. I’m not saying he won’t struggle some in the big leagues but the guy is an elite hitting prospect that seems to be maturing real fast with the bat.
stephenjcoelho
This also allows Boston to make a more impactful move at the deadline. Devers needs defensive work but there are no 3rd basemen on the market that are more talented than Devers. They still need to upgrade the offense but DH and 1B are almost as much of a problem as 3B right now. Eduardo Nunez isn’t going to make the Red Sox lineup dangerous but someone like Jose Bautista still could, even though he’s a fraction of the player he once was.
ctguy
Definitely not Bautista. He’s batting like .225. Sox should just stick with what they have.
Bruin1012
I’m not quite sure where all this concern over Devers defense has come from. He plays very adequate defense at least at this point. I think there are people worried about his defense in the future if his body gets to big but not a concern now.
STLShadows
It might be to early, For example it was to early for Moncada last year and he struggled badly. Devers might be ready but they should go for a fallback option just in case like Nunez or maybe Cozart.
LA Sam
They r clearly taking a page from O’s n the success they had when injuries n straight big club need prompted them to bring up Manny “too soon.” Caught lightning in a bottle playing new position 4 team in play-off hunt down the stretch. They only have less than wk though too find out if it is too soon n if they need to acquire another player before deadline. That whole don’t rush kids thing comes from some of them being rushed, struggling, failing, n never becoming the player their potential showed because of it….
thegreatcerealfamine
Would you please post coherently and not use text jargon like a 13 year old girl.
mike156
Smart move by Boston–possibly a misdirection play. All he has to be is serviceable and it could lower the acquisition cost of another player in a trade.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
So, he’s either rushing the development of the organization’s top prospect while attempting to patch a gaping hole on the roster of a supposed contender with a 20 year old with a week of AAA….OR….he’s made an ultra expensive bluff to try to lower the price of a rental by starting the service clock of his top prospect.
OK, the complaints about Dombrowski are starting to make a bit more sense…
antonio bananas
AA to AAA isn’t as big of a jump as you may think. most top prospects are in AA.
AA is where you keep the 26 year olds that fill out the back end of your 40 man roster.
bobbleheadguru
Not a fan of this.
DD did the same thing to Tigers 20 year old 3rd base “super-prospect” Nicholas Castellanos.
He never got to grow and instead got pushed too early. It was done due to Tigers need. They kept making the playoffs and needed another bat.
Nicholas is finally getting a little better, but it took a long time. I am convinced he would have been a better player faster, if he had just been seasoned for a while longer in the minors.
Fun Fact: Seems like Castellanos has been with the Tigers forever… but he is the same age as Aaron Judge.
antonio bananas
castellanos was never a “super prospect”
pre 2011 (age 19)-
BA 65
MLB NR
BP 65
pre 2012 (age 20)
BA – 45
MLB- 51
BP- 71
pre 2013 (age 21)
BA – 21
MLB – 21
BP – 37
pre 2014 (age 22)
BA – 25
MLB – 15
BP – 37
not even in the same galaxy. castellanos was a middling prospect at best, and that wasnt unil he was in his 20s (yes, age matters). devers is a top 5 in most publications by age 20.
davidcoonce74
Yeah, as great as Judge has been, it’s important to note that he’s older than Bryce Harper and only 7 months younger than Mike Trout. He’s a relatively old rookie, so it will be interesting to see what his career arc looks like.
A'sfaninUK
Pretty obvious theyre trying him out for a week, and if he sinks back to the minors, then Boston makes a trade at the deadline.
bobbleheadguru
Sample is too small. He could hit .400 for 7 days, then teams will make adjustments and he could fall off a cliff…. after the trade deadline.
I don’ t like this at all.
stymeedone
Even if they send him down, Dave will have started the service clock. It’s a good move if it works. The reason most players do not take this path is it is risky.
antonio bananas
he retains his rookie status in 2018 regardless. this isn’t that much different than a september call up.
Michael Birks
Going to sound dumb but I don’t know the answer so I have to ask, is there a minimum games played that starts his clock, or just the fact that he got called up?
mookiessnarl
Not sure the glove is there yet, but there’s a reason Hanley has been seeing so much time at first base. it leaves DH open for Devers if he can’t yet hack it in the field. It also gets him some time with Butterfield to work on his D. Hope the stick gives the team a bit of a jolt.
antonio bananas
how is the glove not there? he’s 20. defense peaks in their early 20s. if he can’t handle 3rd at 20, he can’t ever handle it.
mookiessnarl
You keep saying that. Where did you hear it? Maybe, just maybe defense becomes more difficult at every level of the minors. Bogaerts needed work with Butterfield before he became a passable shortstop. You say defense peaks as if players themselves cannot work on things to improve. If that’s the case why even bother? Nonsense.
davidcoonce74
I can see your point but I doubt highly the Red Sox put a 20-year-old at DH, even temporarily. Once you get pushed into that role there’s nowhere to go defensively. If his defense at 3rd is truly that bad, then they’ll have to move him to first eventually.
mookiessnarl
They can DH him while he works with Butterfield on his defense and plays winter league in the offseason to develop. They need a bat more than they need a glove, and any number of bats in the lineup can be replaced by Devers. And even if he is a DH for the rest of his career, if he hits who cares?
downeysoft42
Yessss!!! I’ll be at his first home game on Friday can’t wait!!
Nick4747
Great move no harm no foul seeing what he’s got for a week or more he has to be better than what’s been being sent out there. This move does not preclude them from making a move whether or not he stays and provides some sort of leverage in a deal.
bobbleheadguru
You do not know the story of Nicholas Castellanos and David Dombrowski in Detroit.
mookiessnarl
Or hey, I’m just throwing this out there. Maybe they are two completely different players and one has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Kinda like Anthony Gose and Jackie Bradley JR.
stymeedone
Yes they are different players. The GM is what’s the same. I think BG is simply pointing out that going this route has potential drawbacks, and is not all upside. I wish Devers well. If it he can hold his own, it nice knowing that just as he gets into his prime, he’ll be leaving as a FA.
hitdog042
Wow. Didn’t know u forecast the future. Andrew Benentendi says hi
hitdog042
We all know it. Over hyped prospect who has yet to pan out. But your point isn’t valid when he finished top 10 ROY voting.
Why don’t you compare a grapefruit with a walnut next time.
antonio bananas
castellanos was never rated as high as Devers. not even close.
Nick4747
The point I was making was the sox need help and clearly it wouldn’t be hard to do with the current state of 3b in Boston. As far as dd wasting castellanos’s service time which is what I believe you’re referring to your point is kinda moot if either he succeeds or doesn’t as dd acquires someone next season and you don’t waste a single year still would have the 6 years and if he succeeds well you got what you want.
chevyheston
Lot of pressure to put on Devers. “Come be our saviour, kid.”
aff10
Red Sox are 10 games over .500 and leading their division. This is more like, “Come be better than Deven Marrero, kid. “
Connorsoxfan
Pretty sure we’re better than Marrero with the bat lol
aff10
Clearly you’ve never seen me hit lol
antonio bananas
exactly. hes the best option. hes better than all the rentals and interal options. if he hits .235/.300/.410, it’d be a success. low bar
Dkaner
Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Rick Porcello, Nick Castellanos etc…he always brings up talent and gives them a taste. Rick and Nick were both 20 when they came up. It’s smart and you might catch lightening in a bottle. If he can’t hit, they will make a short term trade.
bobbleheadguru
Verlander was much older. Zumaya flamed out. Porcello and Castellanos were brought up too early. Porcello has exactly one great year. Castellanos has not even had that.
antonio bananas
how many were a consenus top 10 at age 20 with half a year of killing AA?
davidcoonce74
Yeah, Verlander was a polished college pitcher; there was a reasonable case to be made for him skipping the minors altogether. Zumaya got hurt immediately, Porcello signed a way over-slot deal with the express idea he would be in the majors quickly. Most teams were scared off by his contract demands. Basically in order to keep him from going to college Detroit had to promise he’d be in the majors as soon as possible. Castellanos I don’t know as much about, but he’s still really young and has held his own in the majors.
jleve618
God I can’t stand any of you. Might as well be watching children argue on facebook.
hodor 3
I’m in the same boat. I don’t even touch my own favorite team threads. I’d rather thow rocks in other threads unless I really don’t know enough of a franchise like the O’s or Padres.
antonio bananas
think of the 3B rentals available. now think of Devers. is there really much of a difference?
doesn’t hurt his service time. still likely to win the division. no brainer imo.
KD17
If you were DD and wanted to go to management for more money or permission to do a blockbuster deal for a great 3B wouldn’t it make sense to bring up your 20 year old 3B and prove he can’t cut it. Worst case, he proves you wrong and you don’t need the blockbuster deal, best case he fails like Moncada because it’s too soon and they let you trade prospects to get a long-term solution at 3B.
This isn’t about how well Devers handled minor league pitching. It’s not about showing up Holt, Marrero or Panda. It’s about setting the table for a big deal. If you trade for a big name 3B and you don’t bring up Devers, you will be crucified if the big name starts slowly or turns into Panda, BUT if Devers fails by the trade deadline, you are a hero for pulling a rabbit out of your hat because everyone says nobody good is available.
Stop thinking like fantasy owners and sports fans and start thinking like a GM that wants a championship in Boston but needs to CYA by proving his prospect isn’t Harper or Trout or even a Harper or Trout wanna be like Judge or Sanchez. If Devers begins like Judge or Sanchez, great, no trade and everyone is happy. If he doesn’t and gets packaged for a guy who will fill the huge gap at 3B then he wins too.
I think it’s a smart move but a week too late. He should have been promoted 2 weeks prior to the deadline to better prove he can or he can’t cut it at the MLB level RIGHT NOW.
Either way, this could be a big win for DD.
Bruin1012
I’ll be honest with KD he isn’t bringing him up a week before the deadline to showcase him for a big deal at least not in my opinion.
I think DD is watching this young potential middle of the order bat, that is left handed, and is maturing rapidly and saying I think he is better then anything we have right now. You aren’t going to be able to tell if he is going to cut it in one week or even a few weeks.
The Red Sox will still probably make a trade for Nunez if the price is right if DD thinks to high if price he will just go with what he has. Marrero can’t hit but is great defensively. Brock Holt is back looks solid will probably hit to .700 to .750 ops the rest of the way which is a huge improvement over what they have had at third so far. Let’s see what the kid can do plenty of guys skipped AAA and have done real well and this guy is a hitter wouldn’t worry about him long term he will hit.
giants51
I question Boston’s decision on Devers. He just got a promotion to triple A ball. ….
SixFlagsMagicPadres
Jeez, it seems like you can’t go into any Red Sox or Yankees-related article without seeing the respective fanbases having a massive flame war in the comment sections.
davidcoonce74
It is very odd to me, this kind of nationalism on both sides. But I’m a baseball fan first. My list of five favorite teams might raise eyebrows; it goes, in order, Padres, Red Sox, Dodgers, Yankees and White Sox.
Most Padres fans seem to despise the Dodgers, but as a baseball fan I like the way they think and utilize ideas from everywhere. Most Boston fans despise the Yankees and vice versa, but they are very similar teams in the way they run their teams, develop prospects and synthesize new information. I think the Yankees are a smidge better because I think Girardi is a much better manager than Farrell, which shows in some of the underlying numbers – the Yankees often out-perform their peripherals, and a huge part of that is due to the manager, especially with regards to bullpen management, since bench management is almost non-existent in the AL. But I like them both.
I like the White Sox because I used to live in Chicago, and real Chicagoans root for the Sox, all the Chicagans from other places root for the Cubs. And you can always get good cheap seats at Comiskey.
Connorsoxfan
Or in this case the 2 idiot Yanks fans and everyone else lol
Bruin1012
It’s the same guy it’s Mikeyank with new user names.
thegreatcerealfamine
Yea probably.
hyraxwithaflamethrower
I know he’s been tearing up AAA, but it’s only been 8 days. My thinking is if the Red Sox didn’t think he was ready to come in and be better than Frazier, then he’s not ready to be there period. That said, they should win the division either way, so the real problem with this move is the high-pressure playoff run that comes at the end of this season.
willi
What happens if this Kid Flops , Backup Plan Kendrick from Phillies ?
kylewait89
I doubt Kendrick is a viable option even part time at third.
Bullet
Flop? I’m sure they’ll be an adjustment period..
kylewait89
They have to try something. They are struggling right now. I don’t think they need a dramatic trade like trading something significant for a rental like .210 Frazier but they need something. I see nothing wrong with staying in house.
Pilzbrydroboy
Devers could be ready.. worse case scenerio they send him down for another year.
Pilzbrydroboy
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Sports
I cannot believe the Red Sox call up Devers but don’t even start or play him tonight.
Michael Birks
Paxton is a tough left-handed pitcher as he demonstrated last night, no mystery as to why he didn’t get his first start against a left-handed pitcher having a career year
Bruin1012
They have already said he is going to go against righties to start and maybe a few lefties if they think it’s a good matchup. Paxton is not a good matchup for any left handed he is a really good pitcher why would you put your prized lefty prospect to face that guy?