The baseball world was shocked on Sunday when the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. It also led to an awkward opening to ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.
Karl Ravech opened the broadcast announcing the blockbuster trade. Part of the package going to Boston in exchange for Devers included starting pitcher Kyle Harrison, who happened to be scheduled to take the mound for San Francisco's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Obviously, those plans were nixed.
Here's the intro:
The Giants-Dodgers ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast begins with Karl Ravech delivering the stunning news that Rafael Devers has just been traded to the Giants.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 15, 2025
Kyle Harrison was supposed to be San Francisco's starting pitcher for this game but was sent to the Red Sox. #MLB pic.twitter.com/wdbEoZtUGs
Just 30 minutes before the game started, the Giants traded their pitcher for the evening. Like the rest of us, the Sunday Night Baseball crew was taken aback by the development.
Devers is an elite hitter, so this is a major move for the Giants and the Red Sox. San Francisco now has a big lefthanded bat in the middle of its lineup, while Boston is getting rid of a guy who was at odds with management.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Blockbuster Rafael Devers Trade Led to Awkward Start to ESPN’s Sunday Night Game.
