The Sunday shockwaves were natural for the Red Sox as they watched star slugger Rafael Devers get pulled off the team flight before takeoff after being traded to the Giants. What was more important to manager Alex Cora was the Monday reaction.

While the Red Sox front office kept reiterating that it was a pure baseball trade, the honest truth is that it was a culture trade. They didn’t believe they could win another championship with Devers. They believed he was the wrong guy to be the centerpiece of the franchise. They didn’t think he would become a leader. So, he is gone.