The Red Sox are heading into a weekend that feels bigger than the standings alone.
Boston is 68-59 and sitting 5 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins for the No. 3 American League Wild Card spot, which means every series down the stretch matters.
But this one comes with a different kind of buzz. The San Francisco Giants are in town Friday, and with them comes Rafael Devers, back at Fenway Park after the shocking 2025 trade that sent him to San Francisco.
How Red Sox fans greet him is the real question. Boos would not be a surprise.
Cheers would be, too. A mixed reaction might be the most likely outcome, because the ending in Boston was messy enough to leave plenty of feelings behind.
Devers was once supposed to be the franchise cornerstone for years. Boston made that clear when it signed him to a 10-year, $313.5 million contract. Instead, the Red Sox moved him out last year as drama built around the organization.
It was a rough turn for a player who came up through the system and became one of the club’s biggest homegrown success stories. Devers made his big league debut in 2017 and spent more than eight seasons with Boston, growing from elite prospect to All-Star, Silver Slugger Award winner and World Series champion.
The trouble escalated after Alex Bregman signed with the team. Boston wanted Devers to move to designated hitter, and later to first base after Triston Casas got hurt.
Devers resisted those changes. He opened the season as a DH, but he refused to put on a glove and shift to first.
After the trade to San Francisco, though, he did begin playing first base there.
The fallout has lingered. The move has been dissected from every angle, and even a year later, new details are still surfacing.
The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli reported that some people inside the Red Sox organization viewed Devers as “immature and selfish.” Ghiroli also described a moment of frustration in the batting cages.
There is also a chance Marcelo Mayer, whom Boston traded this season, could be in town as well, though that remains uncertain. Devers, at minimum, is coming back to a fan base that has every chance to make itself heard.
In Other News...
Trevor Storys Return Just Made One Red Sox Roster Call Much Tougher
Trevor Story is expected to return from the injured list soon, and that alone changes the shape of the Red Sox roster in a hurry. A team that has spent plenty of time sorting through infield looks now has to make room for a regular at shortstop, which pushes a few other moving parts into sharper focus, especially on the bench and around second base.
Nick Sogard has helped make the decision more complicated by playing well enough lately to give Boston a real reason to keep him around, with his defense and on-base work standing out over Anthony Seigler. The Red Sox are also trying to sort out how to handle playing time for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jahmai Jones, which means Storys return is not just about who comes off the injured list, but about how the rest of the roster gets reshaped around him. [Read more 🡒]
Roman Anthony's Return Is About To Force A Red Sox Roster Call
Roman Anthony has started his minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Portland, and the Red Sox are already mapping out how he fits back in once he is ready to rejoin the big league club. Boston expects to use him at the top of the lineup as a leadoff hitter and as a designated hitter, which gives the team a clearer sense of his role even as the calendar on the rehab stint can run up to 20 days.
What makes the situation more complicated is the roster pressure around him. Trevor Storys return is also in the mix, and Boston has been juggling playing time for players such as Anthony Seigler and Mickey Gasper while trying to keep the roster balanced. Anthonys comeback figures to help the offense, but it also means the Red Sox will have to make a couple of uncomfortable choices before he is fully back in Boston. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Reunion In Boston May Be Missing One Familiar Name
Rafael Devers is set to make his first return to Boston since the trade that sent him to San Francisco 14 months ago, giving this weekends series a little extra edge for Red Sox fans still sorting through that deal. It is the kind of matchup that tends to drag old emotions back into the open, especially when a former franchise face comes back to Fenway with a new uniform and a familiar spotlight.
One piece of the reunion, though, may not arrive on schedule. Marcelo Mayer, another name tied to the trade and a player the Giants have been monitoring closely, is on a rehab assignment and could be held back until next week as San Francisco manages his forearm issue and decides how quickly to bring him into the mix. He has looked solid in Triple-A, but his major league track record has been uneven, and the Giants appear in no rush to force the timing. [Read more 🡒]