The Boston Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract with opt-outs after each of the first two years. Bregman has agreed to move to second base to accommodate Rafael Devers, but the possibility of Bregman taking third base from Devers has created some tension at Red Sox camp.
Devers seems unwilling to move off of third base, and if tensions rise, Devers could eventually ask for a trade away from the Red Sox.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed the idea of Boston swapping Devers with Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“The idea here is this: Why wait for a union that may be inevitable?” Rymer wrote.
“The Red Sox are the early favorite to sign Guerrero as a free agent, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. And according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, that would be just fine by the 25-year-old.”
The Blue Jays would have their problem with Guerrero solved instantly with this trade. They were unable to give the slugger the contract extension he wanted.
Meanwhile, Devers is under contract through 2033, so the Blue Jays would have somebody to build around.
For Boston, they would be taking an unhappy camper off their hands and could be in a good position to give Guerrero the extension he desires. They also could use more right-handed thump in their lineup, and Guerrero would certainly provide that.
This would also allow the Red Sox to remain competitive in 2025, even without Devers in the fold.
So, while this is an outlandish idea, especially given that it’s a deal between two division rivals, it’s one that might make sense for both teams.
