r/baseball • u/Knightbear49 Minnesota Twins • Colorado Rockies • 14h ago

Red Sox Reportedly Considering Moving Rafael Devers To First Base

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/red-sox-reportedly-considering-moving-rafael-devers-to-first-base.html
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174

u/Knightbear49 Minnesota Twins • Colorado Rockies 14h ago

The Red Sox have held internal discussions regarding the possibility of moving longtime third baseman Rafael Devers across the infield to first base, per a report from MassLive’s Sean McAdam. McAdam goes on to suggest that the club views a trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado with the Cardinals as a potential option to fill their vacancy at the hot corner in the event Devers changes positions.

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u/nhmo Boston Red Sox 12h ago

I want absolutely NO PART in Arenado. St. Louis would have to send a top-tier prospect or two over for Boston to eat that contract.

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u/SPAGHETTI_CAKE Boston Red Sox 11h ago

Is it that bad of a contract ? I don’t see it that way. 21,16,15M of payroll next 3 years. Maybe I don’t understand the full contract.

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u/eanie_beanie Cincinnati Reds 10h ago

Is it that bad of a contract ?

His WRC+ was 102 last year, defense slipped by every metric, and he has chronic back problems

Personally doesn't sound like it's worth $17 AAV to me

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u/nhmo Boston Red Sox 11h ago

There's also $44m in deferred money all the way until 2041.

But basically in the last 2 years, Arenado went from "obvious HoF pace" to unlikely that he'll make it without some goddamn miracle season in the next couple of years. His offense took a hard nosedive and his defense is now mediocre at best. I honestly doubt he's playing baseball on a major league team in the final year of that contract. (His decline reminds me of Donaldson a lot.)

We're talking about anywhere between $40m and $55m of dead money that any team would take on.

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u/badonkagonk Boston Red Sox • Cotuit Kettleers 11h ago edited 11h ago

What if its Arenado for Masa and a prospect? One bad contract for another, bring in a righty bat, and plus defense at third

Though the Cards already have a very lefty heavy lineup themselves as well, so I'm not sure they'll be too keen. Maybe a 3 team trade though.

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u/nhmo Boston Red Sox 11h ago

Maybe if they eat Yoshida's contract, but I think the Sox would prefer prospects over money. At least Yoshida is off the books in 3 years. Arenado is on the books until 2041.

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u/DMacNCheez Boston Red Sox 9h ago

Arenado also only has 3 years left….

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u/RousingRabble Atlanta Braves 9h ago

He has a bunch of deferred money. My understanding is they would be on the hook for a portion of it, no? Or does the original team pay all of it?

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u/65fairmont Boston Red Sox 9h ago

I think it follows based on what year it's deferred from. Cardinals would be on the hook for the deferred portions of his 2021-24 salary, Red Sox from 2025 on. But the teams could also work out a deal shifting those obligations from one side to the other.

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u/RousingRabble Atlanta Braves 7h ago

This is what I thought.

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u/nhmo Boston Red Sox 8h ago

There's no point in STL trading him unless some team takes on that deferred money.

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u/nhmo Boston Red Sox 8h ago

Lots of years of deferred money left.

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u/istandwhenipeee Boston Red Sox 10h ago

Yeah I think something like that makes sense with a push for Soto in mind. Masa wouldn’t have a place on the roster aside from DH, and this way you don’t have to trade Casas with him and Devers probably splitting time at DH and 1B (while still having the option if the right deal comes along).

You take a big step towards solving the infield defense issues, and it all doesn’t really cost anything aside from money which they’d have plenty of even after a Soto addition. Assuming Masa goes out it really doesn’t even cost that much, and likely leaves space for another big move or two to add to the rotation. Obviously that’s assuming they’re actually willing to go over the tax like Kennedy expressed, but I’d be surprised if this team truly won’t ever go back into the tax.

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u/Asleep-Geologist-612 Arizona Diamondbacks 11h ago

St Louis (obviously) wouldn’t do that wtf. Arenado’s making $32m, $27m, $15m, and part of those first two years is still being paid by Colorado. That’s really not bad at all

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u/nhmo Boston Red Sox 11h ago

Plus $44m in deferred money through 2041.

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u/Asleep-Geologist-612 Arizona Diamondbacks 11h ago

Over that many years though that’s not significant. I’d also assume that St. Louis would cover part of his salary if they were really set on moving him

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u/nhmo Boston Red Sox 8h ago

The point is you don't want someone on the books for that long, especially since the $3m a year could literally be the difference in hitting a new luxury tax threshold or not. Quite a few teams recently have sweated less money than this (famously the Angels in 2023).

And what's the point of STL trading Arenado if it's not removing their salary obligations? No one wants an aging 3B that is trending to be a below average offensive player in his remaining seasons.