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Rafael Devers' trade from the Red Sox to the Giants stunned the baseball industry on Sunday, as the longtime Boston hitter is headed to San Francisco.
It's hard to imagine a more a more impactful MLB trade this year, as Devers is once again performing at an All-Star caliber level. Despite only appearing as a designated hitter this year, he has still been one of the team's most important players.
Therefore, it's understandable that fans are trying to come to terms with the transaction, even if that means exploring some unlikely theories. Here's a breakdown of one popular conspiracy theory that has gone viral on social media.
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Rafael Devers conspiracy theory
The Devers trade didn't necessarily come out of nowhere, but it was still shocking to see Boston trade their best and highest-paid player in the middle of the season. So, as fans and analysts tried to dissect the reasoning behind the trade, one conspiracy theory has come into play involving a whole other sport.
A few days before the Devers trade, it was reported that Liverpool is signing Florian Wirtz to a club-record deal in the Premier League. The connection there, of course, is that Fenway Sports Group owns both the Reds Sox and Liverpool F.C.
Fans have speculated that Boston traded Devers in part to afford the Wirtz contract, and the conspiracy hit the mainstream when Bill Simmons fanned the flames on Sunday.
Hmmmmm… pic.twitter.com/SHnZV5bBom
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) June 16, 2025Liverpool spends 150m on Florian Wirtz the same week Boston trades Raffy Devers?
time to put the tinfoil hat on
Liverpool and the Red Sox are both owned by Fenway Sports Group.
One of those teams just agreed to pay a record transfer fee (~$150M) for Florian Wirtz. The other just traded Rafael Devers for a bag of peanuts.
Liverpool put in a 150 Million pound deal to buy Wirtz from Leverkusen and Red Sox just traded away Devers for a bag of chips things that make you go hmmm
— d. (@_312DARIUS) June 15, 2025SN's MLB HQ: Live MLB scores | Updated MLB standings | Full MLB schedule
Rafael Devers contract
Devers is currently in the second year of a 10-year, $313.5 million extension, which was the largest contract in Red Sox history. Additionally, it is the 15th-largest active contract in the MLB, sandwiched between Gerrit Cole and Trea Turner.
As part of the trade, the Giants will pay Devers' entire contract, taking it off the Red Sox' hands.
MORE: Rafael Devers trade grades for the Giants and Red Sox
Florian Writz Liverpool transfer free
Liverpool and Wirtz, who spent the past six seasons in Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga, agreed to a £116 million deal last week, which is the equivalent of over $157 million. The transfer fee is a club record for Liverpool and adds more firepower to a team that won the Premier League last season.
MORE: Timeline of Rafael Devers controversy with Red Sox
Teams owned by Fenway Sports Group
While Fenway Sports Group got its start owning the Red Sox, it has expanded its portfolio to include other teams. FSG bought Liverpool F.C. in 2010 and has owned the Penguins since 2021.
Additionally, FSG is an investor in the PGA Tour and owns the Boston Common of TGL, an indoor golf league that played its first season earlier this year.
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