While the Red Sox front office kept reiterating that it was a pure baseball trade, the honest truth is that it was a culture trade. They didn’t believe they could win another championship with Devers. They believed he was the wrong guy to be the centerpiece of the franchise. They didn’t think he would become a leader. So, he is gone.

A day after trading All-Star slugger Rafael Devers to the Giants, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy told reporters on Monday night that Devers' refusal to change positions made it untenable for him to remain with the team.