Giants-Red Sox trade package details prove Tigers should've found a way to blow Boston away

On Sunday night, FanSided's own Robert Murray broke news that the Boston Red Sox were trading the face of their franchise, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants sent pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, MLB Pipeline's No. 4 prospect James Tibbs III, and minor league pitcher Jose Bello in exchange.

The move followed months of turmoil between Devers and the Red Sox front office, first over his status as a third baseman after Boston swiped Alex Bregman from under the Tigers' noses, and then over his new status as a DH after first baseman Triston Casas went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Trade rumors went wild after both instances, but they died down through June before the bombshell dropped. The Giants and Red Sox were reportedly in talks for weeks, and the Braves, Padres, and Blue Jays are also said to have inquired about Devers.

The Giants will assume responsibility for the $254 million Devers is still owed over the next 8 1/2 years, but their return is almost insultingly minimal for one of the best hitters in baseball; Harrison has already been optioned to Triple-A.

The Tigers, who have one of the best farm systems in baseball, could've easily put a more impressive package together to sway the Red Sox.

Tigers could've put together a stronger package for Rafael Devers than Giants' return to Red Sox

If the Giants didn't even have to give up a top three prospect, the Tigers probably wouldn't have had to part ways with Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, or Bryce Rainer. Tibbs, despite being a top-five for the Giants, isn't a top 100 prospect in baseball, while Clark, McGonigle, and Rainer, along with Josue Briceño and Thayron Liranzo, are.

If all it would've taken was a reliever, a starter, a prospect, and a minor leaguer, the Tigers could've given the likes of Brant Hurter or Brenan Hanifee, one of Keider Montero or Sawyer Gipson-Long, a top-10 prospect outside of the top five, and any other minor league pitcher the Red Sox might've fancied. For a guy who averages around 25 homers a season, has an elite walk-to-strikeout ratio, and is consistently healthy? That feels like a pretty easy trade.

It would've been the perfect way for the Tigers to get back at the Red Sox front office for stealing Bregman, even if the suits in Boston probably wouldn't feel that it was a loss, given how eager they seemed to send him off.

At least, though Devers was shipped to a contender, it wasn't one that the Tigers will have to see for the rest of the season.