captain stone
Well-known member
I'm going to pretend that I didn't read that.
2025 Red Sox and MLB Thread
- Thread starter Deus Irae
- Start date
I'm going to pretend that I didn't read that.
Minutes after the San Francisco Giants landed Rafael Devers in a stunning blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox, podcaster and Boston super fan Bill Simmons was already peddling a conspiracy theory online.
But is it actually that much of a conspiracy?
Just a few hours after the Devers deal was first reported and minutes after it became official, Simmons shared on social media a screenshot of an article from the Athletic titled “How can Liverpool afford Florian Wirtz” with the caption “Hmmmmm…”
View: https://x.com/BillSimmons/status/1934413765283561930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1934413765283561930%7Ctwgr%5Ea60f190b9c38c97de32e939d99236673f54ccfff%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfgate.com%2Fgiants%2Farticle%2Fbill-simmons-conspiracy-sf-giants-rafael-devers-20379562.php
On Friday, Liverpool FC reportedly landed star midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a record transfer fee of 100 million pounds (approximately $136 million) and potentially 16 million pounds in additional fees. When adding in his player salary and potential bonuses, the Athletic estimated that the club could be spending up to 200 million pounds for one player.
Two days later, the Boston Red Sox sent Devers to San Francisco, with the Giants picking up the remainder of the slugger’s $313.5 million salary (over $250 million).
Here’s where things get interesting: Liverpool and the Red Sox are both owned by the same parent company, Fenway Sports Group. The conglomerate led by John Henry also owns both teams’ famous stadiums, the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and 50% of a NASCAR racing team.
Simmons was clearly implying the teams’ owners traded Devers and his massive salary so they could afford the Wirtz transfer fee. If there was any doubt about the meaning of Simmons’ post, he cleared it up less than two hours later.
“It’s a shocking Devers trade, especially the timing, but can you really be shocked it happened? These owners had already revealed who they were. Post-2018 the Red Sox became part of the FSG business portfolio and that’s it,” wrote Simmons on Sunday night.
The Fenway Sports Group team will surely never admit the two transactions were linked, but Simmons is hardly alone in his frustration. The Red Sox fan community is up in arms about the trade — the timing of which was particularly odd considering Devers in the midst of an excellent season and the Red Sox are just a half game out of a wild-card position.
As angry as Simmons is about the Devers trade, he can’t pretend he’s surprised. In 2022, after Boston got outbid for Xander Bogaerts by the San Diego Padres (on top of the team trading Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020), Simmons joked that he “can’t wait for the ‘Rafael Devers for 5 prospects’ trade” in 2024.
The Ringer founder wasn’t perfectly clairvoyant (Boston waited until 2025 and landed four players, not five), but his instincts about the Red Sox’s brass were spot on.
Whatever the reasoning was for Liverpool and the Red Sox, Buster Posey and the Giants are the clear winners.
But is it actually that much of a conspiracy?
Just a few hours after the Devers deal was first reported and minutes after it became official, Simmons shared on social media a screenshot of an article from the Athletic titled “How can Liverpool afford Florian Wirtz” with the caption “Hmmmmm…”
View: https://x.com/BillSimmons/status/1934413765283561930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1934413765283561930%7Ctwgr%5Ea60f190b9c38c97de32e939d99236673f54ccfff%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfgate.com%2Fgiants%2Farticle%2Fbill-simmons-conspiracy-sf-giants-rafael-devers-20379562.php
On Friday, Liverpool FC reportedly landed star midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a record transfer fee of 100 million pounds (approximately $136 million) and potentially 16 million pounds in additional fees. When adding in his player salary and potential bonuses, the Athletic estimated that the club could be spending up to 200 million pounds for one player.
Two days later, the Boston Red Sox sent Devers to San Francisco, with the Giants picking up the remainder of the slugger’s $313.5 million salary (over $250 million).
Here’s where things get interesting: Liverpool and the Red Sox are both owned by the same parent company, Fenway Sports Group. The conglomerate led by John Henry also owns both teams’ famous stadiums, the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and 50% of a NASCAR racing team.
Simmons was clearly implying the teams’ owners traded Devers and his massive salary so they could afford the Wirtz transfer fee. If there was any doubt about the meaning of Simmons’ post, he cleared it up less than two hours later.
“It’s a shocking Devers trade, especially the timing, but can you really be shocked it happened? These owners had already revealed who they were. Post-2018 the Red Sox became part of the FSG business portfolio and that’s it,” wrote Simmons on Sunday night.
The Fenway Sports Group team will surely never admit the two transactions were linked, but Simmons is hardly alone in his frustration. The Red Sox fan community is up in arms about the trade — the timing of which was particularly odd considering Devers in the midst of an excellent season and the Red Sox are just a half game out of a wild-card position.
As angry as Simmons is about the Devers trade, he can’t pretend he’s surprised. In 2022, after Boston got outbid for Xander Bogaerts by the San Diego Padres (on top of the team trading Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020), Simmons joked that he “can’t wait for the ‘Rafael Devers for 5 prospects’ trade” in 2024.
The Ringer founder wasn’t perfectly clairvoyant (Boston waited until 2025 and landed four players, not five), but his instincts about the Red Sox’s brass were spot on.
Whatever the reasoning was for Liverpool and the Red Sox, Buster Posey and the Giants are the clear winners.
I'm a giants fan so thank you niggas
The Red Sox are getting smacked around, tonight. They are currently trailing 8-0.
But with Devers on the team, there's always a chance!
But with Devers on the team, there's always a chance!
captain stone
Well-known member
FUCK Miguel Deportes, that fucking greasy fucking unprincipled fucking wetback fucking spic mouthpiece.
captain stone
Well-known member
View: https://x.com/yahoosports/status/1935372241002266700?s=46&t=eD_XXnce6RpM2gEfRbtV3w
@Kontradiction might soon get a baseball team in his backyard.
I actually rather enjoy getting to walk to over 60 ballgames a year rather easily.
You'll probably sweep the Red Sox
Lol well be okay
Never did i envision us keeping pace with the Dodgers in the West and fighting of the Pads too
Our starters have been excellent with Robbie Ray being a revelation and Logan Webb still being a gem
