The Boston Red Sox pulled off one of the most shocking trades in their franchise’s history, shipping disgruntled superstar Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for… Jordan Hicks? Kyle Harrison? And a couple of prospects, one of which is a promising outfielder. While Devers and the Sox certainly had their share of public issues dating back to spring training, very few people saw the team actually going through with a trade. That goes double when you consider Boston was in the midst of its best stretch since the start of the season at the time of the trade, peaking with a sweep of the Yankees.
Regardless of how the Red Sox got here, though, the trade of Devers leaves a massive hole in their lineup. Devers was having the best season of any designated hitter in the American League, and now Boston needs to somehow replace that level of production. So far, manager Alex Cora has tried a few different players at DH, but nothing concrete has been established.
Today, we’ll be looking at three realistic DH options the Red Sox could pursue in the wake of trading away franchise icon Rafael Devers. And maybe you can even take a page out of our book and implement something similar in MLB The Show 25!
1. Masataka Yoshida
Prior to the 2025 Spring Training, Masataka Yoshida seemed like the most likely DH for the Red Sox. Originally signed to be an outfielder, Yoshida fell slightly out of favor with the organization, but did find a nice groove at DH in 2024. However, everything changed when Boston signed 3B Alex Bregman. Bregman, a reigning Gold Glover, wasn’t going to be moved off his position, resulting in incumbent 3B Rafael Devers moving to DH. This was a move that didn’t go over well with Devers at first and can be seen as the turning point for the discourse that culminated with his trade to the Giants.
Now, with Devers gone and Bregman soon returning from an injury, Yoshida is the most realistic choice to take over the DH position. Yoshida is also currently rehabbing from injury, but Alex Cora has said the team could fast-track his return. With the team seemingly not valuing Yoshida as an OF, the only reason he would return quickly is to be the team’s everyday DH. However, Alex Cora did say that OF Rob Refsnyder could also DH when a lefty pitcher is starting.
Of course, the DH position will likely be fluid even with Yoshida back, but right now, the Japanese Yankee-killer seems like the Red Sox’s best option.
2. Platoon Between Current Outfielders
While it’s certainly not the most exciting route, the Red Sox have shown no issue with platooning at any position, including DH. With injuries forcing Boston to platoon at first base, third base, and catcher so far, the team could go the same way at DH until a more permanent solution is found.
Currently, the team could look to lefty-specialist Rob Refsnyder, 1B Romy Gonzalez, 1B/3B Abraham Toro, and perhaps even rookie OF Roman Anthony to DH in the interim. If the Sox do go the platoon route, the daily DH would depend on the opposing pitcher and who’s playing in the outfield, as the team has a logjam at every outfield position. So, for example, if there’s a lefty pitcher on the mound, Boston could roll out an OF/DH combo like this:
- LF Jarren Duran
- CF Cedanne Rafaela
- RF Rob Refnsyer
- DH Roman Anthony/Romy Gonzalez/Abraham Toro
Alex Cora has already stated that Wilyer Abreu likely won’t play when a lefty starts, but when a righty is pitching, the lineup will include him in some capacity. So, suffice to say, there’s a lot to figure out for the Red Sox if they choose to implement a platooning strategy at DH when you consider how many players they have vying for playing time. The arrival of Masataka Yoshida and return of Alex Bregman only complicate the situation further, so we’ll just have to see how Cora manages the roster in the near future.
3. Kristian Campbell
At the time of writing, rookie Kristian Campbell has been optioned to AAA-Worcester. After starting the season as hot as any player in the MLB, Campbell has gone through a major slump, batting below .200 for nearly two months. However, before Campbell was sent down to the minors, he got some time in at DH due to his consistent struggles at second base.
While Campbell is, of course, not a DH option in the short term, he could be one when he eventually returns from AAA. Campbell is primarily being sent down to work on his swing, mechanics, and fielding. If the minors prove to be exactly what Campbell needs to get back on track, Alex Cora could realistically slide him in at DH when he comes back to the major league roster.
Naturally, this is contingent on the Masataka Yoshida/platoon route at DH not working out as the Red Sox might hope. If Campbell slides in at DH, though, Boston could theoretically throw out an infield like this, which actually looks like a solid roster:
- 1B Romy Gonzalez/Abraham Toro
- 2B Trevor Story
- SS Marcelo Mayer
- 3B Alex Bregman
- DH Kristian Campbell
This allows Mayer to play his natural position, takes less pressure off Story at shortstop, and returns Bregman to his Gold Glove position. It also means Campbell doesn’t have to worry about fielding in the short term. Boston could then use that time to get Campbell practice at first base, as the team also needs a long-term solution at that position as well. Campbell has previously gotten work at first base before games, so his DH stint could be temporary if he ends up working out over there.
If the Sox go this route, that’s going to require a ton of roster juggling, as what happens to Masataka Yoshida and how does the outfield logjam work out?
As we mentioned before, roster decisions will have to be made eventually with Boston, regardless of who ends up at DH. However, the three DH options we’ve listed are the most probable with the current state of the team. Perhaps the team trades for a regular DH at the trade deadline if they’re still keeping pace in the AL playoff race, but as we’ve seen with the Sox, winning consistently hasn’t been their strong suit.
