This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
LOS ANGELES -- Like many of you sitting at home on Sunday, as the Padres put the finishing touches on their win over the Diamondbacks, Xander Bogaerts couldn't believe it.
Rafael Devers? Traded to the Giants?
Bogaerts didn't know what to believe, so he went straight to the source for confirmation. He texted his former Red Sox teammate -- suddenly a division rival. Devers texted him back straightaway. Yup, the NL West gauntlet had gotten even tougher.
"It made them a lot better," Bogaerts said of the Giants. "We aren't going to deny it. He's a big time player, and the guy's a great kid, man. Some people might think differently because some people might not really know him on a personal level."
Bogaerts was addressing the discord between Devers and the Red Sox that sparked Sunday's trade. He spent parts of six years playing alongside Devers and touted him as an excellent teammate throughout.
In any case, the addition of Devers gives the Giants the middle-of-the-order bat they'd been lacking. This season has already been a grind in what many consider to be the toughest division in baseball. It may have just gotten tougher.
Of course, a day after that trade, Shohei Ohtani made his return to the mound in the Dodgers' series-opening win over the Padres. In the aftermath, Manny Machado was asked to sum up the state of the NL West.
"Good competition, man," Machado said. "It's going to be until the end. That's what we play for. It's definitely going to be fun. This division just got better. It was good already -- great already."
On numerous occasions, manager Mike Shildt has made it clear that the Padres would prefer to keep their focus on themselves. It's the same stance he's held throughout his tenure, even as other teams in the division -- most often the Dodgers -- have made blockbuster additions.
"Our focus is going to be internal," Shildt said. "We're going to be aware of what's taking place in the division. But all that we control is what the Padres do. You look up and you see the addition of Devers to a division rival ... they're investing in the now and in the future."
That's a future in which the Giants will be competing directly against these Padres. Currently, the NL West boasts four teams above .500, including the Diamondbacks as well. All four have serious playoff aspirations for 2025 and perennially beyond that.
"It's crazy when any team makes a trade, especially for a guy like Devers," said Luis Arraez. "He's one of the best hitters in the league right now. I love watching him play. ... And now he's got to face us."
A year ago, of course, it was Arraez going to San Diego in a stunner during the early part of trade season. (Albeit, in a deal that wasn't nearly as stunning as this one).
Realistically, that's just the nature of the division. The four teams at the top always seem to be searching for -- and finding -- ways to improve. They've made some fairly epic transactions along the way.
"The division is really good," Arraez said. "It was good as soon as I got here. ... Now we've got Raffy [in San Francisco], and they're playing really good baseball. But baseball's like that, man. We just need to play our baseball. We've got a good team. Just play the games, do the little things."
Of course, the Devers deal might also signify something else: The start of trade season. If so, it's not a moment too soon for this Padres group.
They have a handful of needs and a month and a half left to address them before the Trade Deadline. It's worth wondering whether a transaction like this one could bring the market to life.
"Man, it's crazy huh?" Bogaerts said. "I don't think anyone saw that coming. ... I don't know if I can remember a trade kind of like this."
Machado -- who was once dealt midseason himself -- was sitting next to Bogaerts and quickly concurred.
"Definitely not -- not like this one," said Machado, noting that he was an impending free agent in 2018, and everyone expected him to be dealt.
After being traded to the Dodgers that summer, Machado would lose that World Series to an all-time great Red Sox team that won 108 games. Three young pillars on that team -- Bogaerts, Devers and Mookie Betts -- are now spread around the NL West.
"That was a monster team we had that year," Bogaerts said. "... The times change and people move on. It's just one of those situations."