By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk
BOSTON – Considering the major difference of a trade in MLB with no Salary Cap and the NBA with significant trade restrictions from the long-standing cap (maximum team salary), the recent trade of Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants reminds this columnist of the decision by the Dallas Mavericks to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers this past winter.
They’re both trades that shocked their respective leagues and fan base. They are both trades that left fans scratching their heads and wondering, ‘Why?”
They are both trades that left critics thinking, “They could’ve gotten more in return for such superstar players, as Doncic was an All-NBA player who led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals when they lost to the Boston Celtics and Devers is a Top 10 hitter in all of Major League Baseball.
The Mavericks received once All-NBA center Anthony Davis along with Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick.
The Lakers received Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks. There was also some collateral swappings with the Utah Jazz.
With the Devers trade to San Fran, the Red Sox received pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks, along with outfield prospect James Tibbs and minor-league right-hander Jose Bello.
In both cases, the GMs of each team (Dallas (Nico Harrison) and Boston (Craig Breslow) dealt with – pretty much – just one opponent to come to terms on a deal. The shock value of the trades had much to do with the fact nothing leaked from Dallas-LA nor Boston-SF. There was one report that Boston bounced an idea or two off the Atlanta Braves, but nothing came of it.
That left the dealmakers – so let’s look a bit deeper into these two trades?
For the Mavericks, there was trouble with Doncic’s injury history, namely lower body strains that kept him on the NBA’s Injured List from Christmas to the trade date of February 2, 2025. Although Doncic led an upstart Mavericks club to the NBA Finals, there was some belief his weight and lack of conditioning might catch up with him sooner than later. In addition, he might simply walk from the Mavs when he was eligible for free agency,
For the Red Sox, the spring of 2025 saw Devers head south when the team went south for spring training. Boston obtained golden glove third baseman Alex Bregman and it prompted the Sox to ask Devers to switch to be their Designated Hitter for the current season. Devers went to the DH role reluctantly.
When young first baseman Tristan Casas was injured and out for the season, the Sox asked Devers to consider a switch to first to give manager Alex Cora some flexibility and depth. From Devers there was more pouting and even an outburst to the media to communicate back to Cora and the Sox management team.
Also, Devers began the 2025 regular season in a ditch, but he recently broke from that slump in a big way and was among the American League leaders in walks, RBI, On Base Percentage, runs scored, doubles, extra base hits, home runs and total bases. After ending the slump in late April, Devers was batting .325, with 12 home runs, 33 base-on-balls, and was leading the majors with 43 RBI.
While his on-field performance was booming, Devers’ was clearly not rowing in the same direction as the rest of the organization in terms of introducing the three top prospects into active, everyday duty.
In a June 16 conference call with media, Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy and head of baseball operations Breslow expressed their disappointment in not getting on the same page with Devers and shared their point of view of frustration and ultimately the decision to move Devers, with the buzz words of “because they could not find “alignment” with their star.”
In the 24 hours after the trade rumors leaked and became fact, there was more talk of “alignment,” and lack thereof, than at every Town Fair Tires store in New England.
Of course, not hidden in the deal is the fact the Red Sox will save some $250 million over the next eight-plus years as they drop the weight of Devers’ ten year $313.5 million contract, of which two years of the deal was in the bank. For that reason, Red Sox fans and season ticket holders have little patience as ticket prices remain amongst the highest in MLB while stars such as Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Chris Sale were all shipped out of Boston in cost savings moves, each with little return of on-field run producers.
In the end, the Red Sox will speak of alignment while the Mavericks won the Lottery – literally – when they lucked into the rights to draft Duke University star Cooper Flagg next Wednesday night.
The Mavericks will be redeemed on June 25.
The Red Sox will remain in limbo.