The Boston Red Sox fought their way back into the postseason race, but then traded away their best hitter. They could swing a trade to land his replacement.

On one hand, the Giants assumed an underwater, massive contract. On another, they got a present star in Devers. The Red Sox free up cash, get a high-ceiling young arm.

This question hovered around the team as last year’s trade deadline approached, too. In 2024, a middling Red Sox team to start the year found its groove in June, going 21-14 from June 1 through July 14 to close out the first half. That convinced chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to buy.