https://blogs.fangraphs.com/sunday-notes-the-white-sox-wanted-rafael-devers-and-the-elbow-gods-got-their-revenge/

Wasn't Devers a top 20 prospect at that time?  The authors making it sound like he was at the same level as Basabe.  

Rafael Devers

Prospect Rankings[BA] 2015-MLB-#99 ... 2015-BOS-#6 ... 2016-MLB-#18 ... 2016-BOS-#2 ... 2017-MLB-#18 ... 2017-BOS-#3   [PIPE] 2016-MLB-#17 ... 2016-BOS-#2 ... 2017-MLB-#17 ... 2017-BOS-#2

 

from thebaseballcube.com

I thought it was pretty common knowledge the Sox asked for Devers and Benintendi and they eventually "settled" on Moncada, Kopech and Basabe.  It's worked out just fine.  Devers and Moncada are both incredible talents hard to really pick one.  And Kopech will probably turn out quite a bit more valuable than Benintendi.

In the end, they should be thankful that Moncada struggled his first time in the big leagues and Benintendi looked like a RoY/perennial All-Star candidate...pushing up his value, to the point where he was close to untradeable at that precise moment.

Edited November 18, 20196 yr by caulfield12

I had heard it as the Sox wanted Devers, the Red Sox countered with Moncada. Keith Law actually had Devers more highly regarded at the time. From what I understand it was either one or the other, never both.

I remember hearing that the Sox wanted Devers in that trade and Dombowski put his foot down and said no. I thught it was to be a third player after Moncada/Benintendi & Kopech.

This story is the same as the long and awesome globe article that went deep on the trade in 2018.

Since then it has felt like the story has changed so that the Sox “wanted” any of the players that are best at the moment, but this just reaffirms the original story that at the point before the trade was consummated Moncada and Kopech were agreed upon and the Sox were pushing for Devers as Thor’s piece.

26 minutes ago, bmags said:

This story is the same as the long and awesome globe article that went deep on the trade in 2018.

Since then it has felt like the story has changed so that the Sox “wanted” any of the players that are best at the moment, but this just reaffirms the original story that at the point before the trade was consummated Moncada and Kopech were agreed upon and the Sox were pushing for Devers as Thor’s piece.

Thor’s piece?  My understanding was the Sox wanted all three of Moncada, Kopech, & Devers but eventually settled Basabe & Diaz instead of the latter.

Third piece

6 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Thor’s piece?  My understanding was the Sox wanted all three of Moncada, Kopech, & Devers but eventually settled Basabe & Diaz instead of the latter.

 

 

25 minutes ago, bmags said:

Third piece

 

 

Ok gotcha, I didn’t know if you were referring to Kopech as a mini Thor or something like that.

Yeah i remember devers being the third ask but they werent budgimg. Imagine if they did though!

I read that Hahn asked for Moncada, Kopech, and Devers for Sale.  

7 minutes ago, GGajewski18 said:

I read that Hahn asked for Moncada, Kopech, and Devers for Sale.  

I felt this information was out right afetr the trade. Hahn asked for Moncada, Kopech and Devers initially, Boston balked at that price obviously and settled on Moncada/Kopech/Basabe/Diaz. 

Is Victor Diaz even in the organization anymore? I feel like I haven't heard anything about him in a long time.

2 hours ago, bmags said:

Third piece

 

 

Whosoever holds this bat, if he be worthy, let him wield the power of Yoan.

13 minutes ago, YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES! said:

Is Victor Diaz even in the organization anymore? I feel like I haven't heard anything about him in a long time.

He was last season.  Not sure if he'll be a milb free agent this offseason, though.

He did not pitch at all in 2019 due to injuries.  

14 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

He was last season.  Not sure if he'll be a milb free agent this offseason, though.

He did not pitch at all in 2019 due to injuries.  

That sucks, but at least we got Moncada and Kopech out of the deal. And who knows, maybe Basabe becomes a contributor at some point as well.

Just now, Sarava said:

I remember hearing that the Sox wanted Devers in that trade and Dombowski put his foot down and said no. I thught it was to be a third player after Moncada/Benintendi & Kopech.

Red Sox are not thrilled w Devers at 3B. I thought our guy did fairly well considering. 

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe released a book recently on the Red Sox called Homegrown. Detailing the end of Theo through the DD era. Lots of info on Moncada/Kopech in there and an entire chapter dedicated to the Sale trade. Hahn was asking for Benintendi ++ at the deadline. The week of the meetings, Hahn called and said they'd probably be trading Sale. He asked for Moncada. Then he called back the next day I believe the day for the meetings and asked for Kopech. They were in discussions with other teams too. Hahn pushed for Devers as 3rd piece. Dombrowski wouldn't do it because he knew nobody could offer Moncada/Kopech as headliners. When Hahn called back the night before the trade and asked for Basabe/Diaz, DD agreed basically instantly. 

27 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe released a book recently on the Red Sox called Homegrown. Detailing the end of Theo through the DD era. Lots of info on Moncada/Kopech in there and an entire chapter dedicated to the Sale trade. Hahn was asking for Benintendi ++ at the deadline. The week of the meetings, Hahn called and said they'd probably be trading Sale. He asked for Moncada. Then he called back the next day I believe the day for the meetings and asked for Kopech. They were in discussions with other teams too. Hahn pushed for Devers as 3rd piece. Dombrowski wouldn't do it because he knew nobody could offer Moncada/Kopech as headliners. When Hahn called back the night before the trade and asked for Basabe/Diaz, DD agreed basically instantly. 

Boom.

8 hours ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe released a book recently on the Red Sox called Homegrown. Detailing the end of Theo through the DD era. Lots of info on Moncada/Kopech in there and an entire chapter dedicated to the Sale trade. Hahn was asking for Benintendi ++ at the deadline. The week of the meetings, Hahn called and said they'd probably be trading Sale. He asked for Moncada. Then he called back the next day I believe the day for the meetings and asked for Kopech. They were in discussions with other teams too. Hahn pushed for Devers as 3rd piece. Dombrowski wouldn't do it because he knew nobody could offer Moncada/Kopech as headliners. When Hahn called back the night before the trade and asked for Basabe/Diaz, DD agreed basically instantly. 

I’ve always assumed Basabe/Diaz were part of a list Red Sox provided because it just seems like such a weirdly steep drop.

Also from farther down in that article, Yoan Moncada (.369) has the highest BABiP of any player (minimum 1,400 plate plate appearances) since the start of the 1969 season.

9 hours ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe released a book recently on the Red Sox called Homegrown. Detailing the end of Theo through the DD era. Lots of info on Moncada/Kopech in there and an entire chapter dedicated to the Sale trade. Hahn was asking for Benintendi ++ at the deadline. The week of the meetings, Hahn called and said they'd probably be trading Sale. He asked for Moncada. Then he called back the next day I believe the day for the meetings and asked for Kopech. They were in discussions with other teams too. Hahn pushed for Devers as 3rd piece. Dombrowski wouldn't do it because he knew nobody could offer Moncada/Kopech as headliners. When Hahn called back the night before the trade and asked for Basabe/Diaz, DD agreed basically instantly. 

FYI--- Speier is a real stat geek but he is very much in the know. Just to add, the timing also had some impact. This was before Pedroia's injury problems. So Moncada was pretty much blocked, hence the move to 3rd.  Behind Moncada in the minors was Devers who also played 3rd. So Boston felt they had a future 3rd baseman so they could trade Moncada but would not include both.  In 2016, Speier ranked their prospects in order Benintendi, Moncada, Devers  and Kopech

Here are profiles of the top-10 Red Sox prospects:

• Andrew Benintendi, OF. 2016 Level: High A Salem, Double A Portland, big leagues. ...
• Yoan Moncada, 2B/3B. ...
• Rafael Devers, 3B. ...
• Michael Kopech, RHP. ...
• Jason Groome, LHP. ...
• Sam Travis, 1B. ...
• Mauricio Dubon, SS/UT. ...
• Luis Alexander Basabe, OF.

 

2 hours ago, bmags said:

I’ve always assumed Basabe/Diaz were part of a list Red Sox provided because it just seems like such a weirdly steep drop.

As i recall, the general feeling on the trade at the time was that the headliners were appropriate, but that it was light on the secondary pieces.