From Babe to Betts, The Wild Trades that Define the Red Sox After Devers Deal

What is it about the Boston Red Sox and their penchant for blockbuster trades that often feel -- bigger? 

It could be across the team’s 125-year history, their deals have had huge impacts. The infamous deal that sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920 and sparked an 86-year drought. Or more recently, when the team tempted fate again when trading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in 2018. 

Now, Rafael Devers joins that list of superstar players after Boston traded him to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Devers was only in the second season of a 10-year, $313.5 million extension and is arguably one of the top 10 hitters in baseball. The 28-year-old will likely be named an All-Star for the fourth time in his career in the coming weeks.

A decision that didn’t exactly warm Red Sox fans about the direction of the team. And to cap off the chaotic week, Devers will welcome his former teammates to his new digs ahead of a three-game series at Oracle Park, starting Friday.  

Ahead of Devers' reunion with the Red Sox, let's take an all-time look at how each major trade in the team's history has panned out:

[Related: Giants vs. Red Sox Odds: Will We See a Devers Dinger Against Former Team? ]

The setup and reaction: The transition from a star left-handed pitcher to one of the game's best sluggers would set up a showdown between Ruth and Red Sox owner Harry Frazee. At age 24, having already won three World Series in Boston and having set the season record with 29 home runs, Ruth wanted a deal that would double his salary to $20,000. Frazee balked at the idea and made a deal that sold Ruth's contract to the Yankees for $100,000 that was finalized on Jan. 5, 1920. 

The verdict: Fail!

The amount of money made it an unparalleled move