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The Rafael Devers era in San Francisco has officially begun as the infielder slash designated hitter went 2-for-5 with an RBI double on Tuesday with the Giants. How he ended up there is becoming even more clear thanks to numerous reports, including one that called Devers’ situation in Boston an “absolute s— show.”
There were numerous signs that Rafael Devers and the Red Sox front office were not getting along. First, Boston signed All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, yet reportedly told Devers that despite the signing he would still be playing third base. Then the Red Sox changed their mind, so Devers agreed to become a designated hitter. Then Tristan Casas got injured and Boston asked Devers, an All-Star third baseman in his own right, to play first base. He refused.
It was that sort of dysfunction that led to Rafael Devers eventual departure from Boston less than two years after signing a 10-year, $313.5 million extension.
According to Yahoo Sports, the epitome of this dysfunction occurred during an internal team Zoom meeting earlier this season.
Thinking the Zoom call had ended, the Red Sox’s scouting supervisor Carl Moesche was heard saying on the still live audio, “Thanks, Bres, you f—— stiff.” He was referring to Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer, AKA the man in charge, Craig Breslow, who then went on to fire Moesche.
The whole situation with the front office, including how they dealt with the disgruntled Devers, was, as one Red Sox staff member described it, “an absolute s— show.”
Not that Rafael Devers is innocent in all of that. Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz pointed out on Monday, according to The Athletic, “I know the communication between Devers and the Red Sox wasn’t the best at the very beginning. But at some point, you have to realize the organization has the power over everyone. They can play you, trade you, let you go. Sometimes, as a young player, it’s hard to understand that. But they have the power to do whatever they want. The only thing you can control is what you do on the field.”
Ortiz added, “The organization is always going to be there. Players come and go. As a player, sometimes you’ve got to put your ego aside and understand that once you get paid, you’ve got to find a way to do what you’re told. That’s a message for all young players who think they turn out to be bigger than the game. … I’m not saying the Red Sox did everything right. But you have to give the club the benefit of the doubt. They’re not trying to make the organization look bad. They’re trying to make good moves that sometimes they don’t have the opportunity to explain.”