Another marriage ended badly in Boston when the Red Sox made the stunning move to trade homegrown star Rafael Devers on Sunday evening. 

What was once seen as a promising union between the club's homegrown All-Star and the organization rapidly turned into a toxic divorce. 

"In the end, I think it's pretty clear that we couldn't find alignment with Raffy," Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said during a press conference Monday evening. "It's the truth. We all worked at it over the last several months, going back to the offseason, starting with [manager] Alex Cora and [chief baseball officer] Craig [Breslow] and the staff, and then up to me, and all the way up to [team owner] John Henry. We worked at it. We had a different vision for him going forward than he had, and we couldn't get there. And we reached that inflection point and made the decision to make a big move." 

The fallout between the Red Sox and Devers has been well-documented through a stretch of tension and frustration. Devers, one of the game's top hitters, soured on the organization after the front office signed Alex Bregman and handed him the third-base job -- Devers' usual position -- during spring training.

Devers made it clear he wouldn't consider a position change, saying simply, "I play third," when asked about moving to DH. He eventually shifted to the designated hitter role, but the situation was far from smooth. A source told CBS Sports that he demanded a trade when the club asked him to take grounders at third and first just in case the Red Sox needed him. When Triston Casas lost his season to a gruesome knee injury, Devers still refused to play first base. Devers then called out Breslow publicly to the media following a Sunday afternoon contest, questioning his baseball acumen while also reiterating that he wouldn't play first base. 

When the team traveled to Kansas City to open a series against the Royals, Breslow and Henry flew in as well. The owner met with Devers one-on-one, but the sitdown didn't go as planned.

Rafael Devers trade: Winners and losers, including the present-day Giants, the future Red Sox and Gerrit Cole

Mike Axisa

"That meeting was full of candor, openness, honesty between both John and Raffy," Kennedy said Monday night. "And Breslow has had many discussions with Raffy. I've had discussions with Raffy. Alex has had discussions with Raffy that have been candid, honest, direct, and we just weren't able to get there on a shared vision for his role going forward. And that's OK. Sometimes that happens in long-term relationships." 

The decision to trade Devers has sparked backlash from fans. This is a fan base that has watched its team lose Jon Lester, Mookie Betts, and Xander Bogaerts via trade and free agency. The frustration is palpable. 

The Devers situation, however, is a bit different because he had the extension. Devers was supposed to be a part of the now and the future that the Red Sox built with their influx of prospects under former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. Instead, he became a clubhouse distraction in the eyes of enough people, to the point that he could be a part of neither the now nor the future.

"We have a number of young players who are in the big leagues, and we're really excited about them," Breslow said Monday. "And we're very, very deliberate and intentional about the environment that we want to create. And ultimately, we believe that we're positioning the organization to win a bunch of games, both in 2025 and beyond."

Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Roman Anthony, all top prospects, have reached the big leagues. Each is expected to contribute this season and in the years ahead. 

In the trade, the Red Sox acquired pitchers Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and two prospects. The club is without a superstar following the loss of Devers, but it should still be competitive. 

"How could I sit here and say that we're a better team, and I acknowledge that on paper," Breslow said. "But this is about the game that's played on the field, and ultimately about winning the most games that we can. I think when you consider the flexibility, the ability to give some of the young players run, maybe repackage some of the resources and fill some voids in the roster as early as this year's deadline and being really intentional about the environment that we create for these young players to thrive in, then I do think that there is a real chance that at the end of the season, we're looking back and we've won more games than we otherwise would." 

The Sox have one of the youngest rosters in all of baseball with Mayer, Anthony, and Campbell as mainstays. Campbell has struggled after getting off to a hot start, both in the field and at the dish. Anthony has started slow, but said Monday after hitting his first career home run that he hasn't felt overmatched and believes he will be fine. Mayer has provided the Sox a boost defensively at third in the absence of Bregman, who hopes to be back on the diamond before the All-Star break following a quad injury. Trevor Story has had a solid month following a bad start to the season, and the pitching has improved. 

The Red Sox (38–36) have won three straight series for the first time this season, capped by a sweep of the Yankees at Fenway Park on Sunday. They head into Tuesday holding the final wild-card spot (+170 to make the playoffs, per Caesars), but the roster still has gaps.

Do they move Jarren Duran -- one of their top performers -- for pitching help at the deadline? The outfield is crowded, and that scenario isn't off the table. Could Wilyer Abreu be part of a deal? With the Devers chapter closing, the front office has decisions to make. At least one more arm and an additional bat may be necessary to stay in the race.

As for trading Devers, it's a reality few thought would ever materialize. Would chief baseball officer Craig Breslow handle it differently if given another shot?

"I think about that question all of the time," Breslow said. "This is not the outcome that we had expected, and it's forced me to reflect on the interactions that I've had, not just with Raffy, but with other players."