After what was hailed as a stellar offseason, the Boston Red Sox entered the 2025 spring training season with renewed optimism. However, that positive atmosphere quickly soured when third baseman Rafael Devers—who holds a 10-year, $313.5 million contract, making him the team’s top player—outright rejected the idea of switching positions to accommodate new free agent acquisition Alex Bregman.
The situation worsened when first baseman Triston Casas publicly sided with Devers, criticizing Bregman and declaring that top Red Sox prospects Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell shouldn’t be promoted to the major leagues because “we’ve got some grown men up there right now.” To defuse the tension, veteran sports journalist Gethin Coolbaugh proposed a bold solution in a column for the Boston Sports Journal. His suggestion: trade Devers for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the four-time All-Star slugger from the Toronto Blue Jays, who is likely to become a free agent after the 2025 season. While the trade might seem radical, it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds, as respected MLB insider Jon Heyman recently named the Red Sox as the most probable destination for Guerrero Jr. in free agency.
