Rafael Devers’ name continues to make headlines in baseball after he was surprisingly traded from Boston to San Francisco on Sunday night. Awaiting his debut with the Giants, where he will have the Dodgers as a direct rival, the Dominican is in the eye of the storm due to questions from fans and even legends such as his compatriot David Ortiz
The Red Sox icon and Cooperstown Hall of Famer has given the impression of being disappointed by Devers’ attitude and stance in recent months, entering into open conflict with management over his role on the team
The 28-year-old first lost his job as the starting third baseman due to the signing of Alex Bregman, and then refused the option to play first base when Triston Casas was injured. These details, coupled with explosive statements from the player, deteriorated the relationship with the organization, which did not hesitate to trade him a month and a half before the MLB trade deadline
“There are ballplayers who think we are bigger than the game and the game is more than 100 years old. What damn company pays you $300 million to do whatever you want? They told me to jump and I jumped; roll and I rolled,” Ortiz said in a live broadcast on social media
“That’s why I’m a Hall of Famer and Boston loves me, because I was an employee. This is a business, it’s not your home, it’s not about what you want or don’t want. This is a business that people have to put on their clothes to fight and respect,” added the Dominican star
Ortiz acknowledged that at a first moment of tension between Devers and Boston, he took the player’s side and was one of his defenders, but then things changed. The youngster distanced himself and did things his own way, confident that his performance on the field would be enough for the franchise not to consider a move
“You can’t imagine how many times I wrote to Devers to try to advise him, but unfortunately he has communication problems. He almost never returned my messages, but I don’t blame him, he is a good guy, but he definitely has to improve communication,” added ‘Big Papi’, who has lost a battle as Devers’ godfather
Before all the controversy began, Ortiz was one of the people closest to Devers, advising him on the most dissimilar issues. ‘Papi’ saw the boy as his natural successor, as the man capable of leading the franchise to a new era of success
“You can’t imagine how many times I wrote to Devers to try to advise him, but unfortunately he has communication problems”
Devers has not yet given his thoughts on the trade, but he may speak in the coming hours before his debut on the West Coast. San Francisco begins a three-game home series against Cleveland, and over the weekend they will clash with Boston in a quick reunion of their new star with his former team
The Giants are in second place in the National League West with a tough battle against the Dodgers, who are currently two games ahead. However, Bob Melvin’s disciples hope to erase the difference and fight for the pennant now that they have in their ranks a hitter capable of competing at the same level as Shohei Ohtani
Crossing criteria
Manny Ramirez, another of the Dominican legends of the Red Sox, also weighed in on the controversy between Rafael Devers and Boston and expressed a very different opinion to that of ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz. The former star outfielder and hitter attacked his former team without mercy, which he said humiliated its young star
“It’s not a matter of pride or ego. I think the team didn’t respect him or communicate well with him. I’m sure they didn’t do that to (Roger) Clemens. I can’t imagine the Yankees telling Judge that he has to move to catcher,” Ramirez told journalist Hector Gomez
“The Red Sox handled Rafael Devers very badly. They should have talked to him from the beginning that they would move him and not jump him with that in Spring Training. That was very bad by the organization and shows the lack of experience of the manager and the lack of guidance of the team. They should never have treated Devers like that,” Manny said angrily
The trade of Rafael Devers to the Giants has shaken up the Major League market, which should soon start to move with trades between teams with a chance to fight for the crown and others that will bet on obtaining new talent with an eye to the future. Although there is still plenty of time for negotiations and surprises, it is unlikely that another move of such magnitude will occur.
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