The Boston Red Sox stunningly traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, offloading their franchise cornerstone in exchange for starting pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, as well as a pair of prospects.
Harrison, a Concord, Calif. native, had been pitching pretty well for his hometown Giants. He'd made eight appearances this season, including four starts, and owned a 4.56 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings. He was expected to start Sunday's game for San Francisco before he was scratched at the last minute due to the trade.
Now headed to the Red Sox, Harrison reportedly won't be reporting to Boston. Instead, he'll be going to Worcester to join the organization's Triple A affiliate, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.
It's a bit of a surprise for Boston to option one of the key components in its return in the Devers trade. Harrison is still only 23 years old, but he's pitched in MLB since 2023 and made 24 starts for the Giants last season. The current rotation consists of Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Hunter Dobbins, so perhaps the team feels it doesn't currently have a spot for Harrison to fit into.
It's also not clear how Boston intends to deploy Hicks, who was formerly a closer but has been a starter since 2024. In 13 total appearances this year, Hicks, owns a 6.47 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Red Sox Make Surprising Roster Move After Trading Rafael Devers to Giants.
