The Mets lost Sunday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, 9-0, amid right-hander Griffin Canning's worst start of June and the offense's poorest performance in almost a month.

New York is on the wrong side of a sweep for the first time in the 2025 season and enters June's second half with questions that need answers as a six-game NL East road trip looms.

Takeaways

1. Pitching could be a problem. The Mets have depth to potentially withstandKodai Senga's injury, but Canning's latest outing continued a concerning trend. With June 4 at the Los Angeles Dodgers as the exception, four of his past five starts have seen him struggle. After the Rays (39-32) totaled six runs on four hits in 4.1 IP, he has now allowed 10 earned runs and 11 hits (two homers) over 9.2 IP of his past two starts. Before his six scoreless innings at the Dodgers, he logged just 5.2 IP across his May 23 (Dodgers) and May 28 (Chicago White Sox) outings, allowing eight runs (six earned) on four hits while battling walks (eight). Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA) is ultimately heading in the wrong direction at a time when the Mets need him to step up.
2. Even if Canning were to have pitched better, the offense did not give the Mets (45-27) a chance. Aside from Brandon Nimmo, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña and Francisco Alvarez -- who each singled, including Acuña's two -- New York had no answer for opposing starter Shane Baz and Tampa Bay's bullpen.
3. Mauricio -- his knock came during a pinch-hit situation when he led off the seventh inning but went to waste after the Rays subsequently retiredAlvarez, Acuña and Francisco Lindor in order -- has two hits over the past two games, including Saturday's fifth-inning home run. Mauricio replaced an 0-for-2 Brett Baty as the New York lineup's seventh batter and was a bright spot in a game where there were virtually none.
4. The Mets remain in first place in the division with a 2.5-game lead over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies, who are 42-29. Getting swept stings, and New York must reset, but it will soon have a chance to make up direct ground against the Phillies with its matchup later this week.

Who's the MVP?

Baz, who walked four Mets but struck out six and allowed only three hits while throwing 60 strikes on 106 pitches in 6.2 scoreless innings.

Highlights

Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña turn the 4-6-3 double play! pic.twitter.com/D5mSQW7CqE

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 15, 2025

Four strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings for Ty Adcock pic.twitter.com/A2NcAOguxA

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 15, 2025

What's next

The Mets get Monday to regroup before a three-game series at the Braves (31-39) Tuesday through Thursday.

Left-hander David Peterson (5-2, 2.49 ERA) and Spencer Schwellenbach (5-4, 3.11 ERA) are projected to start Tuesday's 7:15 p.m. opener on SNY.

New York subsequently stops in Philadelphia for a three-game set with the Phillies next Friday through Sunday before returning to Citi Field and playing Atlanta four more times.

Rafael Devers, Buster Posey, Bob Melvin to discuss star's immediate Giants fit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LOS ANGELES — Rafael Devers has been one of the biggest stories in baseball since the spring, but not because of his .900 OPS and 15 homers. Devers’ path from everyday third baseman to everyday designated hitter has been a complex one, magnified by the fact that he plays in Boston. 

On Monday, Devers will fly to San Francisco, where he’ll find himself playing with a third baseman even more talented defensively than Alex Bregman. Matt Chapman has the position locked down in San Francisco for years to come, and the Giants weren’t necessarily aching at DH, with Wilmer Flores turning in a shockingly productive first half.

That all leaves some questions as the dust settles on a blockbuster deal completed Sunday, and for now, the Giants are waiting to answer them. Both president of baseball operations Buster Posey and manager Bob Melvin said they want to wait until they speak with Devers before giving details about where he might play as a Giant. 

“I think that’s a conversation that we’re going to have to have with him,” Posey told beat writers Sunday night. “As much as anything, as I’ve told you guys, I want to do my best to be upfront and transparent with these guys and make sure we’re on the same page. That’s a conversation for myself, Zack (Minasian) and Bob to have with him.”

Devers made 951 appearances at third base for the Red Sox coming into this season, but the Red Sox chased defensive upgrades all winter and ultimately signed Bregman. Devers wasn’t thrilled about that move making him the DH, and when Triston Casas got hurt and management asked Devers to play first base, he said he wanted to remain a DH. It became such a story in Boston that ownership reportedly met with him.

In San Francisco, it’ll be more cut and dry long term. Chapman is the third baseman and Flores is a free agent at the end of the year, and the Giants can turn that spot over to Devers through 2033 — the end of his deal — if they want to. They also could revisit first base, a position that was such a black hole that Posey signed former Red Sox teammate Dominic Smith a couple of weeks ago, although Bryce Eldridge is preparing to play there long-term. 

The situation is slightly complicated right now by the fact that Chapman will miss most of the rest of the first half with a sprained hand, and backup Casey Schmitt — who has played well — came out of Sunday’s loss with a contusion on his ankle. X-rays were negative, but Schmitt twice fouled balls off his left leg in the Dodgers series. 

Devers hasn’t played third all year, but he has got more experience there than any currently healthy Giant. He has never played first base as a professional, so if Devers does not fill in at third initially, it seems likely that he’s the DH.

The Giants did not want to push Flores physically by having him play first too often, but everything changed Sunday. They don’t need to put as much on Flores’ plate over the next four months, and if Devers is the everyday DH, they could play both Flores and Smith at first. 

That’s all to be determined, but Posey said he wasn’t turned off at all by all of the stories that came out of Boston earlier this year. For the Giants, that just allowed them to acquire a superstar hitter. Posey said he spoke to Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow about all that was being said publicly. 

“(Breslow said) that some of the stuff that has been in the media was a bit unfortunate,” Posey said. “The reports that I’ve gotten from other people across the industry are that Raffy is a great teammate, loves to play the game, and I’m excited to be able to have those conversations with him and figure out how he’s going to best fit into our lineup, defensively and offensively.”

Both Smith — a former teammate in Boston — and Willy Adames — a friend for the last decade — said Devers will have no issues fitting in with the Giants and in the clubhouse. They described him as hard-working and someone who loves to play the game. As a DH, Devers leads the majors in games played.

“He’s a guy you plug in there every day,” Logan Webb said. “I don’t know where he’s going to hit but I don’t think it really matters. The guy is a stud, plain and simple.”

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The Yankees fell flat at the plate as the Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of their AL East rivals with a 2-0 win at Fenway Park.

New York squeezed out just five hits, but went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, left six runners on base in the final, and struck out 11 times on the afternoon. The Yankees, swept for the first time on the year, never led in the series and fell to 42-28 as the Red Sox improved to 37-36.

Max Fried pitched well, scattering six hits over seven frames, but a pair of two-out extra-base hits proved to be his side’s downfall. 

And while it was Father’s Day, as the game progressed, it became evident Sunday was also Pitcher’s Best Friend Day as the two teams combined to bounce into five double plays.

Here are the takeaways...

- Aaron Judge struck out the first three times he came up against Boston starter Brayan Bello: swinging when he couldn’t hold up on a cutter off the plate with a runner on second in the first, swinging through a fastball on the outside corner with a runner on first in the third, and swing at a down-and-in sinker to leadoff the fifth.

His biggest chance of the game came with runners on first and second and one out in the top of the eighth. After swinging through a 96.7 mph fastball above the zone from Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock, Judge rolled over on a slider to hit into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play. 

He finished the series 1-for-12 with nine strikeouts. The one hit, was a solo homer in the ninth of Friday night’s loss.

- Anthony Volpe booted a grounder on the second pitch of the game for his eighth error of the year. But he made up for it by fielding a 6-3 double play on the very next pitch. He made another good play, picking a short hop on a 96.5 mph hit starting at 6-4-3 double play to end the fourth. 

At the plate, things didn’t go his way: He grounded out the first three times he was up, including a 6-4-3 twin killing in the fourth and struck out swinging for the game’s final out.

- An error on the bases cost the Yanks for the second straight day. With runners on first and second and two out in the third, Ben Rice was caught off second by Bello and nabbed at third to end the inning.

- Up 2-0, Boston went to the bullpen for the eighth, and Aaron Boone went to his bench. At first, the Yanks’ manager got the edge when Paul Goldschmidt (batting for Oswald Peraza) singled on the first pitch reliever Brennan Bernardino threw. And after Trent Grisham singled to bring the go-ahead run to the plate DJ LeMahieu (for Rice) went down looking at a 3-2 sinker right over the plate before Judge couldn’t capitalize.

- Fried needed three pitches to get two outs in the first, pitching around an error with a double-play off Rafael Devers’ bat. Romy Gonzalez then lined a triple into the corner in right as the ball bounced past Cody Bellinger. (Gonzalez stayed in the game despite face-planting on his head-first slide.) The lefty made a good pitch to Trevor Story, but he muscled the ball off his hands just into the left field grass for a two-out RBI single. A slow curve to Abraham Toro for strike three ended the inning.

Fried got Jarren Duran swinging on a 96 mph sinker and Ceddanne Rafaela swinging at a 95.7 mph fastball in a 1-2-3 second. After the 11-pitch inning, the lefty issued a leadoff walk on a 10th pitch to start the third. Rob Refsnyder's first-pitch single through the left side gave Devers a big opportunity, but the Sox’s slugger bounced into another double-play, this time 5-4-3. After walking Gonzalez to put two on, pitching coach Matt Blake was out for a visit. But Fried’s slow curve froze Story to strand two runners on his fourth strikeout of the afternoon.

Fried allowed a pair of singles to right sandwiched around a strikeout in the fourth, but got another double play on a hard-hit ball to end the threat. After getting the first two in the fifth on eight pitches, Devers finally cracked the Yanks' lefty, driving a 369-foot home run that just snuck over the Green Monster. Fried's first-pitch 93.6 mph fastball down and over the plate was jumped on for Devers' 15th of the season to the opposite field. A homer in just two parks, Wrigley Field the other.

Fried retired his final seven batters after the dinger to finish the day with a final line of 7.0 innings, two runs, six hits, two walks, nine strikeouts on 106 pitches (72 strikes). He got 15 whiffs on 56 swings and another 16 called strikes on the day.

- Grisham clanked a double off the Green Monster scoreboard in left center to lead off the day, but he was left stranded. He finished the day 2-for-4, reaching on error with two down in the fifth, as well.

Rice popped out to short in the first with a runner on second, and cracked a one-out single in the third through the right side of the infield before his costly base running mistake. He went 1-for-3. 

- Bellinger took a four-pitch walk in the first and nabbed an infield single off the pitcher’s glove with two down in the third. Finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk.

- Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to second to strand runners on first and second in the first, worked a walk to start the fourth, struck out looking at a sinker on the inside corner to end the sixth, and was caught looking again in the ninth. 

- Jasson Dominguez Jr. went 0-for-3 with a strikeout swinging on a down-and-in cutter to end the fourth.

- J.C. Escarra came a half foot from a double into the left-field corner, but worked a walk with two out in the second. Finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk.

- Giancarlo Stanton worked out at Yankee Stadium on Sunday and faced the Angels’ pitching staff on the Trajekt machine, Boone said before the game. The expectation is that Stanton will be back in the lineup on Monday or Tuesday.

Game MVP: Brayan Bello

Bello allowed just three hits and three walks over seven innings with eight strikeouts on 114 pitches (72 strikes).

What's next

The Yanks return to The Bronx for a four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels.

Right-hander Clarke Schmidt (3.60 ERA, 1.236 WHIP in 55.0 innings) will climb the hill for his 11th start. He will go against José Soriano (3.86 ERA, 1.500 WHIP in 79.1 innings), making his 15th start of the season for the visitors.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to return to mound as starting pitcher Monday vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For the first time in nearly two years, Shohei Ohtani is back where he belongs—on a major league mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Sunday night that their two-way superstar and reigning National League MVP will start Monday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

It will be the first time Ohtani has pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he exited early against the Reds while still wearing the red and white of the Angels.

Twenty-two months and one elbow surgery later, Ohtani is finally ready to toe the rubber again—this time in Dodger blue.

“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. “He’s ready. It’s time to go.”

The plan is for Ohtani to serve as an opener, likely throwing one or two innings before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, who will handle the bulk of the workload. The strategy is as cautious as it is electric. For the Dodgers, it’s less about stretching Ohtani out and more about finally letting the world witness something we’ve all been waiting for.

“He’s going to open for us,” said Roberts of the plan for Ohtani. “The live simulated games have run its course and he’s ready to make his debut on the mound. “It’s great for the game. I’m excited for Shohei”

Ohtani told reporters through a translator after his two-homer performance on Saturday night that he was ready to get back on the mound in a big league game.

A pitcher. A slugger. A $700 million miracle.

It’s not often a Monday night in June becomes appointment television—but when the unicorn returns to the hill, the sport pays attention.

Ohtani, 29, underwent surgery on his right elbow on September 19, 2023, after tearing his UCL for the second time in his career. He had previously undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since signing a historic 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, the Japanese sensation has focused solely on hitting—until now.

His ramp-up began quietly behind the scenes. He paused pitching activities after a mound session in February to focus on Opening Day as a hitter, then resumed bullpens on March 29. Just last Tuesday, in San Diego, he faced live hitters for the first time, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings.

It wasn’t long before he let the team know he was ready for more.

“He said doing the three innings live is taxing on his body,” said Roberts about why the team changed course from their original plan of letting Ohtani ramp up to five or more innings in simulated games with his debut expected to come sometime after the All-Star break. “He’s ready to pitch in a major league game, and he let us know that.” 

While Ohtani hasn’t pitched a single inning this season, he’s still been the Dodgers’ most valuable player—and arguably the face of baseball.

Through June 15, he leads the National League with a 1.035 OPS, while batting .297 with 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He’s made the extraordinary look routine. Moonshot homers. Blistering line drives. Game-winning sprints around the bases. Every time he steps into the batter’s box, there’s a hum in the air.

And now, that hum is heading to the mound.

The timing of Ohtani’s return couldn’t be more crucial.

The Dodgers are scraping together bullpen games just to survive a brutal wave of injuries. Roki Sasaki, the heralded 23-year-old rookie from Japan, hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to a right shoulder impingement and is likely out long-term. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell is battling shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow, arguably L.A.’s ace this season, just landed on the IL with the same diagnosis.

Sasaki’s status, in particular, is murky. He began a throwing program earlier this month but felt discomfort again last week and has since been shut down.

“He’s just not feeling strong,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him.”

With innings at a premium and the postseason picture beginning to sharpen, Ohtani’s return—however brief—offers a glimmer of relief and a whole lot of hope.

This isn’t just about one inning, or even two.

This is about history in real time.

Ohtani’s presence on a big-league mound reminds us of what’s possible when perseverance meets transcendent talent. It’s a story that stretches from the Tokyo Dome to Chavez Ravine, one filled with setbacks, surgeries, speculation, and now—redemption.

“This is very exciting,” added Roberts of Ohtani making his Dodgers debut on the mound. “I’m a baseball fan first. The anticipation here for the game, man it’s going to be bananas.”

Come Monday night, when the No. 17 jersey jogs out from the Dodgers dugout and takes that slow, deliberate walk to the mound, the roar won’t just be for a pitch.

It’ll be for the moment.

A moment 659 days in the making.

A moment worth every second of the wait.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to return to mound as starting pitcher Monday vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For the first time in nearly two years, Shohei Ohtani is back where he belongs—on a major league mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Sunday night that their two-way superstar and reigning National League MVP will start Monday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

It will be the first time Ohtani has pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he exited early against the Reds while still wearing the red and white of the Angels.

Twenty-two months and one elbow surgery later, Ohtani is finally ready to toe the rubber again—this time in Dodger blue.

“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. “He’s ready. It’s time to go.”

The plan is for Ohtani to serve as an opener, likely throwing one or two innings before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, who will handle the bulk of the workload. The strategy is as cautious as it is electric. For the Dodgers, it’s less about stretching Ohtani out and more about finally letting the world witness something we’ve all been waiting for.

“He’s going to open for us,” said Roberts of the plan for Ohtani. “The live simulated games have run its course and he’s ready to make his debut on the mound. “It’s great for the game. I’m excited for Shohei”

Ohtani told reporters through a translator after his two-homer performance on Saturday night that he was ready to get back on the mound in a big league game.

A pitcher. A slugger. A $700 million miracle.

It’s not often a Monday night in June becomes appointment television—but when the unicorn returns to the hill, the sport pays attention.

Ohtani, 29, underwent surgery on his right elbow on September 19, 2023, after tearing his UCL for the second time in his career. He had previously undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since signing a historic 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, the Japanese sensation has focused solely on hitting—until now.

His ramp-up began quietly behind the scenes. He paused pitching activities after a mound session in February to focus on Opening Day as a hitter, then resumed bullpens on March 29. Just last Tuesday, in San Diego, he faced live hitters for the first time, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings.

It wasn’t long before he let the team know he was ready for more.

“He said doing the three innings live is taxing on his body,” said Roberts about why the team changed course from their original plan of letting Ohtani ramp up to five or more innings in simulated games with his debut expected to come sometime after the All-Star break. “He’s ready to pitch in a major league game, and he let us know that.” 

While Ohtani hasn’t pitched a single inning this season, he’s still been the Dodgers’ most valuable player—and arguably the face of baseball.

Through June 15, he leads the National League with a 1.035 OPS, while batting .297 with 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He’s made the extraordinary look routine. Moonshot homers. Blistering line drives. Game-winning sprints around the bases. Every time he steps into the batter’s box, there’s a hum in the air.

And now, that hum is heading to the mound.

The timing of Ohtani’s return couldn’t be more crucial.

The Dodgers are scraping together bullpen games just to survive a brutal wave of injuries. Roki Sasaki, the heralded 23-year-old rookie from Japan, hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to a right shoulder impingement and is likely out long-term. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell is battling shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow, arguably L.A.’s ace this season, just landed on the IL with the same diagnosis.

Sasaki’s status, in particular, is murky. He began a throwing program earlier this month but felt discomfort again last week and has since been shut down.

“He’s just not feeling strong,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him.”

With innings at a premium and the postseason picture beginning to sharpen, Ohtani’s return—however brief—offers a glimmer of relief and a whole lot of hope.

This isn’t just about one inning, or even two.

This is about history in real time.

Ohtani’s presence on a big-league mound reminds us of what’s possible when perseverance meets transcendent talent. It’s a story that stretches from the Tokyo Dome to Chavez Ravine, one filled with setbacks, surgeries, speculation, and now—redemption.

“This is very exciting,” added Roberts of Ohtani making his Dodgers debut on the mound. “I’m a baseball fan first. The anticipation here for the game, man it’s going to be bananas.”

Come Monday night, when the No. 17 jersey jogs out from the Dodgers dugout and takes that slow, deliberate walk to the mound, the roar won’t just be for a pitch.

It’ll be for the moment.

A moment 659 days in the making.

A moment worth every second of the wait.

Sean Manaea got another rehab start under his belt as the Mets' left-hander looks to get ready for his 2025 season debut.

For the second time in his three starts with High-A Brooklyn, Manaea allowed a run in the first inning. His second pitch of the game was an infield single to short before getting a flyout to center. But after a steal put a runner on second, Manaea got the lefty swinging Alejandro Nunez to chase a ball that was closer to the right-handed batter's box than the strike zone.

Lucas Spence took a 2-1 pitch over the heart of the plate for an RBI single to center before Manaea ended the first with a groundout.

Manaea hit the leadoff man in the top of the second on a 1-2 pitch and allowed him to steal second before walking the next batter on a 3-2 pitch. But with two on, he got a three-pitch strikeout and a pair of grounders.

He got the leadoff man in the third to fly out, but Nunez singled to center and Spence cracked a two-run shot to center on a ball that was right over the plate.

Manaea lasted two more batters, allowing a single to right and a six-pitch walk.

The Cyclone's bullpen allowed one of the inherited runners to score to close the Mets' starter's line: 2.1 innings, four runs, five hits (one home run), two walks, a hit batter, two strikeouts on 56 pitches (36 strikes). He did tally 11 swings and misses.

He struck out four in 2.2 innings of work in his last start on Tuesday after giving up four runs (three earned) in his first rehab appearance with Brooklyn.

Red Sox trade Rafael Devers to Giants in shocking move originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox made a stunning, franchise-altering move on Sunday, just hours after completing a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Veteran slugger Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison, and minor-leaguers James Tibbs and Jose Bello.

The shocking move ends Devers’ eight-plus-year tenure with the Red Sox. Devers signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension with Boston before the 2023 campaign.

Devers was in the midst of a stellar season as the Red Sox’ designated hitter. The 28-year-old has slashed .271/.400/.494 with 14 homers, 57 RBI, and an American League-leading 55 walks over 72 games.

Those impressive numbers, however, were overshadowed by off-the-field drama. After the Red Sox signed star third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason, Devers scoffed at the idea of moving from third to DH. He eventually acquiesced, but tensions boiled over again when the team asked him to play first base in the wake of Triston Casas’ injury.

Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox “had enough” of Devers’ attitude.

“The team’s feeling was that a $313.5M contract comes with responsibilities to do what is right for the team and that Devers did not live up to those responsibilities,” Abraham wrote on BlueSky. “They had enough and they traded him.”

The Giants will pay the remainder of Devers’ contract — roughly $254 million — according to reports.

Devers, a three-time All-Star, initially signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, when he was only 16 years old. He helped Boston to a World Series title in 2018 and has since been one of the faces of the franchise.

As for the players headed to Boston, Hicks and Harrison are high-upside pitchers who underwhelmed in San Francisco. The hard-throwing Hicks has a 6.47 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 13 appearances (nine starts) this season. Harrison, a former top Giants prospect, has a 4.56 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in eight games (four starts).

The 22-year-old Tibbs, selected 13th overall in the 2024 draft, notched 12 homers and 32 RBI with a .857 OPS in 56 games with San Francisco’s High-A affiliate, the Eugene Emeralds.

Bello, a 20-year-old right-hander, posted a 2.00 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in eight appearances (18 innings) at the Arizona Complex League.

The Red Sox will visit the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series starting Monday night. They will then take on Devers and the Giants in a three-game series in San Francisco starting on Friday.

Red Sox trade Rafael Devers to Giants in shocking move originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Boston Red Sox made a stunning, franchise-altering move on Sunday, just hours after completing a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Veteran slugger Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison, and minor-leaguers James Tibbs and Jose Bello.

The shocking move ends Devers’ eight-plus-year tenure with the Red Sox. Devers signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension with Boston before the 2023 campaign.

Devers was in the midst of a stellar season as the Red Sox’ designated hitter. The 28-year-old has slashed .271/.400/.494 with 14 homers, 57 RBI, and an American League-leading 55 walks over 72 games.

Those impressive numbers, however, were overshadowed by off-the-field drama. After the Red Sox signed star third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason, Devers scoffed at the idea of moving from third to DH. He eventually acquiesced, but tensions boiled over again when the team asked him to play first base in the wake of Triston Casas’ injury.

Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox “had enough” of Devers’ attitude.

“The team’s feeling was that a $313.5M contract comes with responsibilities to do what is right for the team and that Devers did not live up to those responsibilities,” Abraham wrote on BlueSky. “They had enough and they traded him.”

The Giants will pay the remainder of Devers’ contract — roughly $254 million — according to reports.

Devers, a three-time All-Star, initially signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, when he was only 16 years old. He helped Boston to a World Series title in 2018 and has since been one of the faces of the franchise.

As for the players headed to Boston, Hicks and Harrison are high-upside pitchers who underwhelmed in San Francisco. The hard-throwing Hicks has a 6.47 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 13 appearances (nine starts) this season. Harrison, a former top Giants prospect, has a 4.56 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in eight games (four starts).

The 22-year-old Tibbs, selected 13th overall in the 2024 draft, notched 12 homers and 32 RBI with a .857 OPS in 56 games with San Francisco’s High-A affiliate, the Eugene Emeralds.

Bello, a 20-year-old right-hander, posted a 2.00 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in eight appearances (18 innings) at the Arizona Complex League.

The Red Sox will visit the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series starting Monday night. They will then take on Devers and the Giants in a three-game series in San Francisco starting on Friday.

Dodgers star Kershaw has hilarious reaction to Giants' Devers trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The MLB world was turned upside down upon hearing of the Giants’ blockbuster trade for All-Star slugger Rafael Devers.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Clayton Kershaw was among those left stunned by Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey’s massive gamble to acquire Devers coming out of nowhere.

“How about that trade? That’s wild! Buster’s really doing it,” Kershaw told ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball crew during an interview in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game between the Giants and Dodgers. “Not [Buster] Olney, Buster’s really doing it over there. Good for Buster, man. He’s going for it. I’d consider [Rafael Devers] probably one of the probably top-10 hitters in the game at worst.”

Clayton Kershaw: "How about that trade? That's wild! Buster's really doing it! Not Olney; Buster Posey's really doing it over there. Good for Buster, man. He's going for it. I'd consider [Rafael Devers] one of probably the top 10 hitters in the game at worst." ⚾️🎙️ #MLBhttps://t.co/VtlTFADepApic.twitter.com/gqPKFdZYdr

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 16, 2025

Kershaw seemingly wondered what everyone else was, which is where Devers would slot into San Francisco’s plans given Matt Chapman being firmly entrenched as the Giants’ third baseman.

“He’s definitely a game-changer. It will be interesting to see what position he plays over there. I know they have a big prospect at first base coming, so it will be interesting to see if he plays first. Obviously you have Matt Chapman who’s one of the best in the game at third. Even if he’s just DH for however long that contract is … that makes them better right now, for sure.”

Devers hit .272 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI in 73 games for the Boston Red Sox this season. That includes a solo home run against the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon in his final game for the Red Sox.

The 28-year old slugger is in the second year of a 10-year, $315.5 million contract, which figures to tie Devers to the Giants as a foundational piece for years to come.

Despite dropping the last two games against the Dodgers, it’s clear San Francisco’s new addition has sent a clear message to its biggest rival — the Giants are going for it, now and and for years to come.

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What we learned as Giants trade for slugger Rafael Devers during loss to Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

LOS ANGELES — The scene that unfolded Sunday at Dodger Stadium was one of the strangest in the long history of the Giants. 

Sean Hjelle started warming up during the national anthem, as scheduled starter Kyle Harrison was being told he was headed to the Boston Red Sox in a blockbuster deal that will make Rafael Devers a Giant for the rest of the decade. Hjelle was relieved in the fourth by Joey Lucchesi, who had not been officially announced as part of the roster. 

When the trade finally was announced, Andy Pages homered seconds later to put the Dodgers on top. It was chaotic, and in the end, the Giants fell short 5-4 in a game that they kinda punted by trading their starter minutes before first pitch. 

The Giants (41-31) dropped the series and will head back home two games back in the NL West, but the next time they take the field, they’ll have Devers.

Here are three takeaways from a strange night at Dodger Stadium:

Stepping In Admirably

Harrison was hoping to pitch well enough that the Giants would keep him in the rotation next week when Justin Verlander returns. Instead, he was sent back to the clubhouse after heading out to the bullpen early in the afternoon. By the end of the day, he had been optioned to Triple-A Worcester by the Red Sox.

Hjelle stretched as the anthem was performed and then made his first big league start under unusual circumstances. Just about everyone at Dodger Stadium was surprised when he was the one to take the mound, and the Giants desperately needed length after Spencer Bivens and Tristan Beck soaked up most of Saturday’s blowout. 

Hjelle gave them exactly what was required, throwing 54 pitches in 3 2/3 innings and leaving with a 3-2 lead. He was rushed into duty and might have kept Bob Melvin from having to use his entire tired bullpen on the final day of a six-game trip. 

Hello, Joey

The Devers deal came together so quickly that the Giants did not have time to announce Lucchesi as a member of their roster before the game. In the third inning, the scoreboard at Dodger Stadium did it, with a graphic showing that he was warming up.

Lucchesi was in camp with the Giants but has spent all year at Triple-A. He made it down from Tacoma, Washington to provide an extra arm for the bullpen, taking Harrison’s roster spot. Lucchesi was charged with two earned runs after he put a couple on in the fifth and Ryan Walker gave up a three-run blast.

So, About Third Base

Matt Chapman is out another three to four weeks, but the Giants had been in good hands there even before dealing for Devers, a long-time third baseman. Casey Schmitt has three homers on the trip, but he was removed early in Sunday’s game after fouling a ball off his left foot for the second time during this series. 

Schmitt was already wearing a wrap on his left foot and he was in considerable pain as he went down in the box. The Giants announced that he has a left ankle contusion.

Devers, who will join the team Tuesday, hasn’t played third base all year. The Red Sox signed Alex Bregman in the offseason, angering their incumbent, who has been a DH in every appearance this season.

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