The New York Yankees’ front office breathed a collective sigh of relief on Sunday.
The reason? The Boston Red Sox traded their star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.
The blockbuster deal, which sent Devers to the National League in exchange for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and pitcher Jose Bello, marked the end of an era for one of the most feared “Yankee killers” in recent memory.
Devers’ departure from the American League East, where he tormented New York for nine seasons, was met with jubilation in the Yankees’ camp, as evidenced by candid reactions from team officials.
NJ.com’s Jim Hascup reviewed ESPN’s coverage of the Yankees response:
“ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney revealed on ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ reactions from around the sport, including a text he received from a New York Yankees official. ‘Glad he’s gone. Yankee killer,’ the anonymous executive wrote. (Olney said on the podcast a member of the Yankees texted, ‘Good riddance. Thank God, because this guy murders us.’ Analyst Eduardo Perez said he got a text from Yankees manager Aaron Boone, which was simply an emoji with bulging eyes, mouth wide open. ‘(MLB execs) are absolutely stunned at how quickly this came together,’ Olney said on the ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ broadcast.”
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Devers’ dominance against the Yankees was undeniable. In 119 career games against New York, he slashed .270/.348/.533 with 31 home runs and 78 RBIs, including 16 homers at Yankee Stadium, tying him with Red Sox legend David Ortiz for the fifth-most by a visiting player.
His final act as a Red Sox player was a solo home run off Max Fried in a 2-0 Boston win on Sunday, capping a three-game sweep of the Yankees.
Against ace Gerrit Cole, Devers was particularly lethal, hitting .350 with eight homers and 20 RBIs in 44 regular-season at-bats, a nightmare matchup for New York.
The Yankees’ glee is understandable. Devers’ exit means they’ll face him far less frequently—likely only in interleague play or a potential World Series matchup—easing a significant competitive burden.
Boston’s decision to move Devers was reportedly driven by tensions over his positional shifts after the signing of Alex Bregman and refusal to play first base following Triston Casas’ injury.
For the Yankees, it’s a clear win.
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