Examining the Red Sox return for Rafael Devers
James Tibbs was one of the four players the Red Sox acquired in a trade that sent Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. Photo courtesy of MLB Pipeline.
For many Red Sox fans, Sunday felt like a bad dream. Boston once again dealt away a homegrown superstar for a seemingly underwhelming return.
Ultimately, this trade will likely be judged by how the Red Sox reinvest the roughly $250 million they saved from dealing Devers to the Giants. I don’t think anyone in their right mind can convince themselves that the players they got in return justifies trading away a franchise cornerstone.
With that being said, they did acquire some potential. Let’s take a look at each player.
James Tibbs, OF, 22 YO
Tibbs was selected 13th overall in last year's draft, one pick after Boston drafted Braden Montgomery, who ended up being a part of the package to land Garret Crochet.
He has spent the entire 2025 season with the Eugene Emeralds, the High-A affiliate of the Giants. In 57 games played, he has posted a .246 average to go along with 12 HRs, 32 RBIs, and a .857 OPS. His 16.3% walk percentage and 17.9% strikeout percentage are both reasons for optimism. MLB Pipeline ranked Tibbs as the Giants’ number four prospect.
By all accounts, Tibbs projects as a corner outfielder. He did play some 1B in college, so in theory, he could fill in there if needed.
Tibbs is still only 22 years old, a year removed from winning ACC Player of the Year at Florida State and being a top 15 pick. But let’s not mince words here. Tibbs batting below .250 in High A isn’t exactly reassuring. The fact that he is the centerpiece of the return for a top ten hitter in baseball is, quite frankly, laughable. Not to mention that when he is big league ready in 2026 or 2027, he will likely join an already crowded corner outfield situation in Boston.
Kyle Harrison, LHP, 23 YO
Harrison is no longer considered a prospect, but he did enter the 2024 season as the number 23 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Since then, he’s been underwhelming. In six starts at Triple-A Sacramento this season, Harrison has recorded a 3.46 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. At the big league level, he has made eight appearances, including four starts. His ERA sits at 4.56, and his WHIP sits at 1.27.
He possesses a low to mid-90s fastball with a low arm slot. But the concern with Harrison, according to those who have closely followed him, is the lack of a consistent offspeed pitch. The southpaw was optioned to Triple-A Worcester after being acquired.
Jordan Hicks, RHP, 28 YO
Hicks will begin his Red Sox career on the IL with a toe injury. He appeared in 13 games with the Giants this season, including nine starts, posting a dismal 6.47 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. He struck out 43 batters in 48.2 IP. Hicks’ best years came as a member of the Cardinals. In four and a half seasons in Saint Louis, he recorded a 3.98 ERA to go along with a 1.32 WHIP. The Cardinals traded him to the Blue Jays at the 2023 trade deadline, where he found success, posting a sub-three ERA.
Once he is healthy, Hicks will join a Boston bullpen that has been overworked all season long.
Jose Bello, RHP, 20 YO
Bello was not ranked as a top 30 prospect in the Giants system by MLB Pipeline or Baseball America. In 2025, he’s made eight appearances in rookie ball, with a 2.00 ERA to show for it. I’d say the chances of Bello ever becoming a household name are slim to none. Unless you closely follow the Red Sox minor league system, this could very likely be the last time you hear his name.
Brayan Bello is starting to put a rough start to the season in the rearview mirror
For Brayan Bello, the first few months of the 2025 campaign were full of frustration and disappointment. Since the calendar flipped to June, that has not been the case. As the Red Sox have started to turn their season around due to good starting pitching, Bello has been at the center of their success.
Kyle Harrison's Run Value Added on his Fastball at the Big League level this year was in the (approximately) 80th percentile, which makes it an above average pitch. His average velocity on that Fastball was 95.1 miles per hour, which also makes it above average. Left Handers with this fastball profile don't grow on trees, so Harrison could turn out to be a mid-line Starting Pitcher if the Red Sox pitching lab can help him to acquire two MLB average breaking pitches. That's been his problem. His breaking ball and changeup have been below average to downright poor at the MLB level. That's the key to this deal. Acquiring a mid-line Starting Pitcher can make this deal look much, much better if the Red Sox Pitching Development can live up to their reputation. They were able to help Quinn Priester add to his one above average pitch, and if they can do so with Harrison, this deal looks much, much better.
Hicks is someone I was preening for when the Cardinals were looking to trade him near the trading deadline in 2023. If he can find the plate, having a second high-leverage pitcher throwing 100+ miles per hour to pair with Aroldis Chapman makes the Red Sox bullpen much, much better almost immediately. We all remember the 2014-2015 Royals club who had four closers in their bullpen and turned that into two World Series appearances and one World Series championship. An effective Hicks lengthens the Red Sox bullpen and moves Weissert down the list. Champan, Hicks, Slaten, Whitlock, Wilson, and Weissert makes this bullpen quite formidable.
Tibbs was not in the top tier of college bats available in the '24 draft, but after Bazzana, Condon, Kurtz, Caglianone, Wetherholt, & Christian Moore, Tibbs was in that 2nd tier with Seaver King, Braden Montgomery & Cam Smith. I believe Breslow might see Tibbs as an opportunity to begin the process of phasing out Tristan Casas if he can develop quickly between now and the beginning of Casas' rehab assignment in June of next season. In reality, Casas probably won't be ready to face Major League pitching until around July first of next year. I understand the Red Sox interest in his bat.
Bello is a flyer with interesting pitch characteristics to his pitches. I understand he may not be tall or left handed, but he has control at a young age which is hard to find and his velocity can continue to tick up with additional development. He might end up in the bullpen in the coming years, but he's a nice flyer/project to have in the system.
Overall, I agree with your assessment. The true grade of this trade relies upon how the Red Sox choose to spend the money that came off the books by deleting Devers' contract from the books, but don't be surprised if three pieces of this trade all end up beings contributors within the next two years.
I'm not as down on the return from this trade as most.