Even casual baseball fans are now aware that the Boston Red Sox made a blockbuster move on June 15, trading franchise cornerstone Rafael Devers — their designated hitter and former third baseman — to the San Francisco Giants. What remains unclear, however, is how the Red Sox intend to replace Devers’ offensive firepower.
On Monday, longtime MLB insider Jon Heyman appeared on MLB Network and floated a potential trade candidate who could help fill the void left by Devers, at least to some extent.
The urgency for Boston to act became especially apparent over the weekend, when the Red Sox faced Devers and the Giants in San Francisco. Although Devers went just 2-for-13 in the three-game set, he delivered the decisive blow on Saturday, launching a two-run homer that secured a 3-2 victory for his new club.
Red Sox Eye Slugger Who Excels Against Right-Handed Pitching
Heyman suggested that the Red Sox may target a hitter who has matched — or even exceeded — Devers’ performance this season by many offensive metrics. The caveat: those numbers only hold when facing right-handed pitchers. Fortunately for Boston, righties make up roughly 70% of Major League pitchers.
In Monday’s interview, Heyman said he expects Boston to be buyers at the upcoming trade deadline, now about five weeks away. The Red Sox currently trail the first-place team in the AL East by six games and sit just a half-game behind both the Mariners and Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot. With postseason contention within reach, the front office appears poised to add Major League talent for the stretch run.
Typically, buyers at the deadline offer up minor league prospects in exchange for immediate big-league help — a calculated trade-off of future value for present-day performance.
One name reportedly on Boston’s radar is Baltimore Orioles designated hitter and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. With Devers now in the National League, O’Hearn has emerged as the American League’s leading All-Star vote-getter at the DH spot — a testament to the impact he could bring to Boston’s lineup.
One factor that reportedly influenced the Boston Red Sox’s decision to trade Rafael Devers was his unwillingness to consider a move to first base following Triston Casas’ season-ending injury on May 2. Casas had been the team’s regular first baseman, and the void left by his absence highlighted the team’s defensive inflexibility. In contrast, Ryan O’Hearn — a potential trade target — offers far more positional versatility, having split time this season between designated hitter and first base, where he’s made 25 starts. Over his eight-year MLB career, O’Hearn has logged 335 games at first.
O’Hearn Seen as a ‘Logical Fit’ in Boston
MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan recently described O’Hearn as a “logical fit” for the Red Sox, particularly due to his production against right-handed pitching. So far this season, the 31-year-old slugger has posted a .919 OPS versus righties, slightly edging out Devers’ .901 mark.
After a solid 2024 campaign in which he hit 15 home runs and posted a 119 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus, where 100 is league average), the Orioles exercised O’Hearn’s $8 million club option for the 2025 season. However, he is eligible for free agency after this year, making him a potential rental acquisition.
In 2025, O’Hearn’s production has reached another level. He currently sports a 148 wRC+, compared to Devers’ 144 heading into Monday’s games. According to Statcast data, O’Hearn’s hard-hit rate stands at 49.2%, just below Devers’ 54.7% — further underscoring his ability to drive the ball with authority.
What Would It Take to Land O’Hearn?
Given O’Hearn’s status as a short-term rental, the Orioles likely won’t command a massive return, but Boston would still need to part with at least one legitimate prospect.
One candidate is 22-year-old left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle, who was promoted Monday from Single-A to Double-A Portland. Tolle is currently ranked as the No. 4 pitching prospect in the Red Sox organization by MLB Pipeline. SoxProspects.com is even higher on him, listing Tolle as the second-best pitching prospect in the system and No. 5 overall.
If the Red Sox decide to make a push for the postseason, adding a versatile, high-impact bat like O’Hearn could be a sensible — and relatively affordable — move to bolster the roster for the stretch run.
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