The baseball world has been rocked.
On Sunday evening, the Boston Red Sox made a stunning trade to send Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants with little-to-no warning signs.
The trade came out of nowhere, but it wasn’t the first time that a trade has shocked fans. Just months ago, the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic took over the NBA world. It’s not a one for one comparison, but baseball now has it’s own version.
With that in mind, here are 10 of the most surprising trades in MLB history:
Red Sox trade Babe Ruth to Yankees, 1919
Red Sox receive: $100,000
Yankees receive: Babe Ruth
It’s been more than 100 years, but the Babe Ruth trade remains a seminal moment in baseball lore. It sparked the Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry and the Curse of the Bambino, an 86-year World Series drought for Boston.
Red Sox trade Mookie Betts to Dodgers, 2020
Red Sox receive: Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, Connor Wong
Dodgers receive: Mookie Betts, David Price
Nearly 100 years later, the Red Sox once again traded their World Series-winning star — this time to Hollywood. Mookie Betts has already added two more rings to his fingers in Los Angeles, and none of the three returning players made an impact in Boston (only Connor Wong remains as a backup catcher).
Mookie Betts says he’ll leave it to the Red Sox front office to explain what really happened before he was traded to the Dodgers, but he says his desire and expectation beforehand was to stay in Boston for the long-term.
Rangers trade Alex Rodriguez to Yankees, 2004
Rangers receive: Alfonso Soriano, Joaquín Arias
Yankees receive: Alex Rodriguez
The Red Sox had a deal for Alex Rodriguez … until they didn’t. The MLB Players Association vetoed the deal, and the Yankees swooped in months later to steal the star away — only after their third baseman (and future manager) Aaron Boone got injured in a pickup basketball game.
Mariners trade Ken Griffey Jr. to Reds, 2000
Mariners receive: Brett Tomko, Mike Cameron, Antonio Perez, Jake Meyer
Reds receive: Ken Griffey Jr.
Over 11 seasons in Seattle, Griffey was one of baseball’s brightest stars. But he quietly wanted to return home to Cincinnati, and his wish was granted in a February deal. Griffey never reached the same heights after the trade, though, and the Mariners won an MLB record-tying 116 games in 2001.
Red Sox trade Rafael Devers to Giants, 2025
Red Sox receive: Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, James Tibbs…