Red Sox Sweep the Yankees — But Gerrit Cole Quietly Becomes the Weekend’s Biggest Winner
The Boston Red Sox just enjoyed their best weekend of the season, completing a satisfying sweep of the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. The series win pushed Boston back over .500 and closed the gap in the AL East to 6.5 games.
But despite Boston’s dominance, the biggest winner of the weekend wasn’t wearing red or navy blue — it was Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, and he didn’t even throw a pitch.
Yes, Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss all of this season — and possibly part of 2026 — but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t celebrating. Why? Because Rafael Devers, the one hitter who’s consistently crushed him, just got traded across the country.
Devers — long known as Cole’s personal nightmare — is now a member of the San Francisco Giants, leaving the American League and taking his .350 batting average, 8 home runs, and 20 RBI in just 16 games against Cole with him.
To say Devers “owned” Cole is an understatement. He was so deep in Cole’s head that the Yankees ace once intentionally walked him with the bases empty. That’s how dangerous — and frustrating — Devers had become.
Now, Cole no longer has to face Devers multiple times each season in division play or worry about him in a potential AL playoff matchup. Instead, he may only see him once a year — if that — unless the Yankees and Giants somehow meet in the World Series.
Sure, the Giants landed a top-tier bat, though one with defensive shortcomings and a massive long-term contract. The Red Sox offloaded a disgruntled star unhappy about a DH role. But the true winner might be Cole, who now has one less elite slugger to haunt his ERA.
Whether or not this trade works out for Boston or San Francisco remains to be seen — but Cole? He’s already sleeping better at night.
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