Will We See a Devers-Arenado Trade?

The addition of Alex Bregman should have been a boost to the Boston Red Sox.

It has instead turned into a debacle.

When Bregman was signed, the plan was to move him to second base. However, the Red Sox have other plans. They appear to want top prospect Kristian Campbell to play second with Bregman at third with longtime third baseman Rafael Devers becoming a full-time DH.

The Red Sox evidently neglected to let Devers in on their plans having been previously told he was staying put at third.

While it is true that Bregman is better with the glove at the hot corner, Devers is the superior player on offense. Devers is also 28 & hasn't reached the peak of his powers.

Then there is also the fact that Devers is under contract with the Sox until 2033 having signed a 10-year contract extension worth $313.5 million prior to last season.

If the Red Sox are smart, then they will be wise to keep Devers at third and play Bregman at second. Should Bregman opt out of his contract then they can promote Campbell in 2026 or 2027 at the latest.

But I don't think the Red Sox are that smart. They'll insist Devers be their DH thereby alienating Big Papi & ruining any possibility that Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. plays at Fenway in 2026 & beyond.

Should they back themselves into a corner and insist that Bregman play third then there's one thing they can do - trade Devers to the St. Louis Cardinals in a multi-player deal with Nolan Arenado at the centerpiece.

This could be a lifesaver for both clubs. The Cardinals have been trying to unload Arenado and his huge contract all off-season. With a suddenly unhappy Devers, the Cardinals can acquire a third baseman who is five years younger while the Red Sox add a player willing to move to first base. While Arenado is expensive, he is only under contract through the 2027 season although some of his money has been deferred through 2041. I'm sure the Red Sox & Cardinals can exchange obligations.

In acquiring Arenado, the Red Sox could also unload Tristan Casas who has been a staunch ally of Devers. In return, the Cardinals could send Gold Glove utility player Brendan Donovan to Boston. 

We shall see what happens between now and Opening Day.