Why Red Sox Fans May Be Conflicted Over Turning Its Season Around After Rafael Devers Trade

But nan little post-Devers occurrence hasn’t quelled nan concerns of each instrumentality erstwhile it comes to really nan Red Sox are operating.

“Half of Red Sox Nation was viewing nan woody done nan bigger image of what ownership has done successful nan past 5 years, which is to opportunity they dumped Mookie Betts for money reasons,” said Mike Schur, nan "Parks and Recreation" creator who is besides a lifelong Boston fan. (For years, Schur wrote nether nan pseudonym “Ken Tremendous” for nan shot blog Fire Joe Morgan and elsewhere.)

In 2020, Boston traded Betts to nan Los Angeles Dodgers, who person since won 2 World Series pinch him connected nan team. Betts was nan American League MVP successful 2018 and besides made 4 All-Star teams while he was successful Boston. He was sent to Los Angeles aft he rejected a statement connection from nan Red Sox.

Even if Devers is not nan subordinate Betts is, nan determination to waste and acquisition him intelligibly echoed nan Betts saga to fans.

“Where is nan money going, [and] why is it not going to Mookie Betts? Why are we not winning? Why are we not getting value talent?” Himanshu Patel, a Red Sox fan, told WFXT-TV of Boston extracurricular Fenway Park nan time aft Devers’ departure.

“You traded distant your champion player, your highest-paid player, for what I’m calling Big League Chew and a container of balls,” NBC Sports Boston expert Trenni Casey said successful nan aftermath of nan trade. “This is simply a net dump, and that should frustrate people.”

Schur cited shortstop Xander Bogaerts’ signing pinch nan San Diego Padres successful 2022 aft 10 years pinch nan Red Sox arsenic different premier example.

“Their homegrown stars person been many times going location else, and different teams are conscionable paying them much money,” Schur said. “The Red Sox person a big-market advantage successful a athletics pinch nary cap. They should beryllium paying these guys."

Schur added that location could person been justifiable shot reasons for nan Red Sox to waste and acquisition Devers, who classed 83rd successful protect wins supra replacement among AL 3rd basemen successful 2024. While Boston whitethorn person perchance mismanaged Devers’ positional change, nan squad was besides justified successful moving him.

Financially, however, nan Red Sox are lagging down their contemporaries.

Boston classed sixth among MLB teams pinch $514 cardinal successful gross past season, according to CNBC’s calculations. Boston’s operating income past twelvemonth was $120 million, according to Forbes.

However, nan Red Sox’ payroll is only nan 13th-highest successful MLB. While calculations alteration and are not exact, Boston’s 2025 payroll is astir 33% to 37% of its 2024 revenue.

The New York Mets, meanwhile, are estimated to beryllium spending 74% of their 2024 gross connected payroll this season.

While Red Sox fans whitethorn spot an ownership group that’s nary longer consenting to spend, astatine slightest 1 erstwhile executive is encouraging patience.

“You cannot let a subordinate to talk to nan beforehand agency aliases astir nan beforehand agency nan measurement Devers did,” said erstwhile Miami Marlins president of shot operations David Samson, who added Boston’s ownership group (which has won 4 championships this century) deserves much grace.

“They person shown erstwhile it’s clip to spend, they’ll spend,” Samson said. “They’ve besides shown that they’re smart. I conscionable don’t understand really they don’t get nan use of nan doubt.”

(Samson, it should beryllium noted, oversaw a Marlins statement that routinely traded distant homegrown talent because of financial fears — though Miami was and is successful a overmuch different gross sphere from nan Red Sox.)

Schur conceded that "the cold, difficult economical calculations are not ever needfully a bad thing."

"You want your squad to beryllium smart. You don’t want them to overvalue guys," he said. "The problem is they are doing this pinch their ain homegrown players. Like, nan economics of this shouldn’t matter anymore erstwhile it comes to Mookie Betts.

“The Devers point was this cleanable collision of being smart astir economics and besides this nagging emotion astir nan ownership caring erstwhile it comes to nan semipermanent stewardship of this team.”

As for nan mild occurrence of nan squad since it traded Devers, Schur is level-headed, pointing to an easier schedule and nan mini sample size. He besides added that he’s nan ownership’s dream fan, because he will support nan nine nary matter what.

“But they do person to interest astir group who are a small little aggravated than I am,” Schur said. “Because if you only measure guys year-to-year what are you worth, past nan franchise gets a small little nosy to guidelines for.”

Samson, however, believes Boston will soon reallocate nan money it was spending connected Devers. He besides said it would beryllium “a unspeakable measurement to tally a business” for nan Red Sox to overpay players simply because they tin spend to.

“I understand what nan fans are saying,” Samson said. “But connected nan different hand, are Mets fans happy Steve Cohen spends for illustration a drunken soldier? I would opportunity that they won’t beryllium happy if they suffer successful nan first round. But possibly I’m wrong.”