The Red Sox asked Devers to play first base after telling him he’d only be a designated hitter this season. He declined, but first base may be the Giants’ biggest need. Would he have a

After months of tension between Rafael Devers and the Boston front office, the Red Sox shocked the baseball world by trading their franchise superstar to the San Francisco Giants. The move drew some strong reactions around the league.

Rosenthal said the Giants’ history of swinging and missing on high-profile sluggers — specifically naming the missed trade for Giancarlo Stanton and the failed free agent pursuits of Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani — made this deal worth the risk.

Rafael Devers balked at becoming the Red Sox' DH, and later refused to try out first base. The team worried that would be a dangerous precedent for a roster filled with rookies.