We are still six weeks out from the MLB trade deadline, but speculation season started with a bang after a blockbuster trade on Sunday night. The Boston Red Sox traded three-time All-Star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks and prospects James Tibbs III and Jose Bello.
While many will argue whether the Red Sox got enough for a three-time All-Star or the Giants just created their own infield drama situation with Matt Chapman at third base, there may be a surprise winner in this trade – the Detroit Tigers.
You may think this is a strange stance to take, considering the Tigers weren’t even involved in the deal. But in the wide-open landscape of the American League, their chances of making a deep playoff run just received a shot in the arm.
Tigers Become Massive Winners After Rafael Devers Trade
The Tigers entered Monday’s action with the best record in baseball at 46-27. Despite dropping two out of three games to the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, they still have a nine-game lead over the Minnesota Twins for first place in the American League Central and a 2.5-game lead over the New York Yankees for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
These leads can evaporate midway through a season, but it’s a better situation compared to what’s going on in the National League. The New York Mets lead the NL with a 45-27 record, but they’re also one of five teams with 40 or more wins entering Monday, including the 41-31 Giants. The San Diego Padres are on the verge of winning their 40th game with a 39-31 record entering Monday, while the Milwaukee Brewers are right behind them at 39-34.
These standings show why the Giants were eager to make a deal, but also why the Tigers could be considered winners. Only the New York Yankees and Houston Astros have over 40 wins in the American League, and the Tampa Bay Rays are the next closest team at 39-32. While the Giants need Devers to keep up with the arms race in the National League, you could also argue that the teams chasing the Tigers also could have pursued a deal.
Instead, the Red Sox did the Tigers a favor. At 37-36, Boston was gaining momentum, and Devers was leading the way. The 28-year-old was thriving in his designated hitter role, hitting .272/.301/.504 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI and posting his highest OPS (.905) since 2019 (.916). Although the Red Sox “Big Three” of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell haven’t had an immediate impact, they also could get better with more major league at-bats, giving the Red Sox upside in the second half of the season.
This creates a hypothetical where the Red Sox made a midseason push and the Tigers were in their crosshairs. While it wouldn’t keep them from winning the Central, a first-round matchup with the Red Sox could have looked much scarier if Devers was in the middle of the lineup. Instead, the American League looks much weaker than it did a few days ago.
The Tigers are not a perfect team and they’ll be looking to add pieces at the trade deadline. But in a playoff picture that’s more open than their NL counterpart, the competition around Detroit just got weaker, which could lead to their first ALCS appearance since 2013.