The entire baseball world was blindsided earlier this month when the Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the Giants after what was a rather messy break-up. Depending on who you talk to and what they value most, the trade has been characterized as a big win for the Giants as well as the Red Sox. We won't know who won the trade for a while, but what should interest Atlanta Braves fans is which other teams were in discussions with Boston for Devers.
There were some reports that the Braves checked in on a Devers trade, but the talks never really got anywhere. However, USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale's report suggests that Atlanta may have been more involved in talks for Devers than we thought along with the Mariners, Cubs, Padres, and Blue Jays and that raises some fascinating questions as to what that would have even looked like.
Braves connection to Rafael Devers trade may imply willingness to move on from Marcell Ozuna
There is a lot to consider here and the fact that the Braves taking on Devers contract feels like a very not Alex Anthopoulos move sits at the top. Devers is already likely a 1B/DH going forward and the Braves just don't pay those types of guys anywhere close to $30 million a year and they definitely won't do it for eight years plus, right?
However, we know that the Braves did talk to the Red Sox about Devers. We also know that they have Austin Riley and Matt Olson on long-term deals at third and first base respectively and both players are (usually) as valuable or more than Devers and replacing them doesn't make much sense. Throwing him in the outfield seems like a bad idea given how he responded to position changes this year, which leaves DH and that is currently Marcell Ozuna's spot.
One rumor that made the rounds on social media several days, but wasn't verified by a reputable source was that Ozuna would have gone back to the Red Sox along with Sean Murphy and a couple of pitching prospects. In a vacuum, this is the sort of deal that might work as it helps the Braves offset some of the salary they would have been taking on, but again we don't know if this was real whatsoever.
What we do know, though, is that the Braves appear to be willing to plan for life after Ozuna. He has said all the right things and has played pretty well this year, but his power has dropped off and the lingering hip injury that plagued him is a reminder he isn't getting any younger. At this point, don't be surprised if the Braves decide to move on after the season or even trade Ozuna at the deadline.