In baseball, there are always some blink-and-miss moments. However, this time, something unusual happened in the game that was impossible to miss. Something Rafael Devers is right now under fire for.

The story takes place on Sunday, as the Red Sox went up big against the New York Yankees. They wrapped up what would become an 11-7 win at Yankee Stadium. But in the sixth inning, a slow grounder off Rafael Devers’ bat, clocked at just 68 mph, turned into quite a head-scratcher because Devers didn’t run it out!

Had Devers hustled, then most believe that he could have easily beaten the throw. But instead, he coasted halfway down the line as DJ LeMahieu smoothly tossed it to Paul Goldschmidt at first to essentially end what could have been a five-run inning. And yes, the cameras didn’t miss this error. Nor did the fans and media.

Social media broke out with chants of Devers being a $330 million child. This is the nickname that fans have started tossing around for Devers. Because he signed an eye-watering deal with the Sox in 2023 for 11 years. Hence, this kind of paycheck comes with expectations, and even a little slack can leave the pan burning. Also, this is not the first time Rafael Devers has gotten the tag, because at the start of the season, the entire menace of Devers not wanting to move position for Bregman caught immense fire.

Now, while fans are triggered, Alex Cora still stands by his players. Cora, after the game, pointed out that “It wasn’t lack of hustle,” not once, but twice. He shut down the speculations before they could free-fall. Now, to be fair, Cora did hint at an inside joke with Devers, saying, “We talk about it. If he needs a blow, he needs a blow,” simply highlighting that maybe Devers might need a breather for a while.

However, Raffy did end up proving himself, if truth be told. In his next at-bat in the ninth, a 383-foot blast came flying from his bat at 111.2 mph. Jared Carrabis is one who best put the matter on X, saying that, “To know Raffy is to know that benching him for not hustling… isn’t how you send a message. You take away his Xbox and ban ice cream for a week. You’ll never see him run faster.” Well, for now, Devers is still batting strong, but sure moments like this are a reminder that when you are that guy to the team, every step or even the lack of one gets highlighted.

Is Rafael Devers suddenly on Red Sox trade radar?

Meanwhile, in Boston, the rumor mills are at an all-time high about who is being traded and more. And one name that no one expected has made it to the list—Rafael Devers! Yes, according to ESPN analyst Guillermo Celis, the Boston Red Sox are open to listening to offers not just for players like Duran or Buehler, but also for their star basemen.

Now, of course, this is shocking because Devers has been the face of the franchise for years now. His consistency is what makes him a hot commodity to the team. But the Boston Red Sox may be into something big. Devers is a catch for any team, and he will have eyes for those teams that are in contention. And sure, his contract is long, but that won’t essentially stop the teams. If the Red Sox make him available, the return is also looking promising, and they can get top prospects and young talent.

However, there is essentially a but because Devers is…well, Devers—he seems almost untouchable, and maybe the Sox might not be ready to part ways. For example, in the same Sunday’s game where his effort was under scrutiny, he made history. That huge homer of his wasn’t just any other homer; it was his 30th career homer against the Yankees. It took him just 116 games to get there. And only Manny Ramirez got to 30 homers against the Bronx quicker than that, in just 102 games.

Now Devers sits ahead of even MLB legends like David Ortiz and Jim Rice, even Ted Williams. So, that’s elite company to keep. Whether the Red Sox will trade such a star remains a huge question. Do you think they can? Let us know.