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The New York Yankees received a significant boost on Sunday without making a single move.
A blockbuster trade in the American League East has shifted the balance of power, giving the Yankees a clearer path to dominance in their division.
The deal, which sent a perennial thorn in New York’s side to the National League, has sparked discussion among fans and players alike.
The Yankees, in particular, are toasting to a formidable opponent being removed from their regular-season schedule.
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Max Goodman of NJ.com captured the sentiment perfectly: “Boston traded superstar Rafael Devers to the Giants in shocking blockbuster deal."
"That’s good news for the Yankees as Devers has been one of the league’s biggest Yankee killers since he made his debut back in 2017. Factoring in the home run he hit off Max Fried in the fifth inning on Sunday, Devers has swatted 31 homers against the Yankees over 119 career games. He’s hitting .270 with 120 hits, 78 RBIs and 79 runs scored in that span."
"Injured ace Gerrit Cole must be jumping for joy as well," Goodman continued. "Devers has famously had the right-hander’s number over the years, batting .350 (14-for-40) with a 1.410 OPS and eight homers against Cole in the regular season. Now, Devers will face the Yankees for only three games every season for much of the next decade, unless New York plays San Francisco in the World Series.”
Devers's departure to the San Francisco Giants in a four-player trade has left Yankees fans buzzing. Devers’s ability to punish Yankee pitching has haunted the Bronx for years.
Devers's absence weakens a Red Sox lineup already reeling from injuries,
The Yankees, coming off a 2024 AL pennant, are set to leverage this development.
While the Devers trade doesn’t guarantee a division title, it removes a significant obstacle for the Yankees for years to come.
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