Red Sox front office did something right. They got rid of Devers.

[mvp 78]

20 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

i had landed on pizza, but this would have been great.

You seem more like a chicken nuggies and ketchup guy? 

[mvp 78]

Wait, was it RI pizza strips/party pizza/bakery pizza? Or was it real pizza? 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

17 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

Imagine dating a girl who says she won't go to 2nd base with you then she starts dating your friend and they go 2nd base on the first date.  you're going to be like....wtf? SF didn't need him taking reps at 1B in spring training and he moved over....and he didn't complain about it then. 

If only Brez and AC had communicated my desires to her before our date, then she'd no-show and bolt to San Francisco. With flowers in her hair. Though that wasn't my friend with her, but the loudmouth from Mayer's Carshield commercial driving a Kar's for Kids.

[Hugh2]

20 hours ago, Old Red said:

My point is that 1B had been a problem for three years in a row, and the Red Sox just stuck someone there like Arroyo, and Franchy who hadn’t played there before, and they were going to try it again. That was all, because of injuries too, so it was NO more a problem last year then it was the two years before that. Raffy did what he was told he went to DH, and put his glove away. IMO putting Raffy at 1B would have weakened the team at two positions 1B, and DH. I think Raffy thought that, and I think Cora thought that. As I’ve said many times if Cora had told Raffy to go play 1B I’d have a different opinion but he didn’t. I think Raffy, and Cora knew what was best for the team, and bresLOW didn’t.

He's literally the manager.  If they were asking him to play first base he was the one who asked him.  Thats like.....obvious.  I'm not sure what your work experience is, maybe you're used to managers who cower in fear and don't have the conversations that upper management asked them to make but I don't think Cora is that guy, I don't think you think he's that guy either.  Whether or not he agreed with it is something entirely different. 

It does appear there was a communications break down.  But no one ever told Devers he was moving full time to DH, and those words came DIRECTLY out of Coras mouth.  He recently gave an interview in spanish.  Heres some of it: 

Alex Cora Breaks Silence on Rafael Devers Departure: ‘We Failed on Communication’ Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora addressed the departure of Rafael Devers, admitting the organization could have handled the situation much better. “It’s one of those situations where, as a group, we could’ve done a much better job communicating,” Cora said. “We should’ve sat him down and laid it out clearly: This is the situation, these are the directions we’re exploring. We don’t see you as our third baseman of the future. That’s it.” Cora emphasized that no one told Devers to throw his glove away, calling that part “********.” However, he acknowledged that everything changed after the team signed Alex Bregman and Triston Casas got hurt. “Looking back, I know we should’ve been upfront with him from the start of the offseason,” Cora continued. “We needed to have those real conversations. Those talks never happened.”

[Old Red]

13 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

He's literally the manager.  If they were asking him to play first base he was the one who asked him.  Thats like.....obvious.  I'm not sure what your work experience is, maybe you're used to managers who cower in fear and don't have the conversations that upper management asked them to make but I don't think Cora is that guy, I don't think you think he's that guy either.  Whether or not he agreed with it is something entirely different. 

It does appear there was a communications break down.  But no one ever told Devers he was moving full time to DH, and those words came DIRECTLY out of Coras mouth.  He recently gave an interview in spanish.  Heres some of it: 

Alex Cora Breaks Silence on Rafael Devers Departure: ‘We Failed on Communication’ Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora addressed the departure of Rafael Devers, admitting the organization could have handled the situation much better. “It’s one of those situations where, as a group, we could’ve done a much better job communicating,” Cora said. “We should’ve sat him down and laid it out clearly: This is the situation, these are the directions we’re exploring. We don’t see you as our third baseman of the future. That’s it.” Cora emphasized that no one told Devers to throw his glove away, calling that part “********.” However, he acknowledged that everything changed after the team signed Alex Bregman and Triston Casas got hurt. “Looking back, I know we should’ve been upfront with him from the start of the offseason,” Cora continued. “We needed to have those real conversations. Those talks never happened.”

Huh? Huh? Cora said in an interview on NESN last year as the Raffy saga was unfolding, and said he hadn’t talked to Raffy about playing 1B, and WASN’T going to, so your literally the manager isn’t so like obvious, and just the opposite. Nice try, but you failed again. As for the rest of the story it’s easy to come out now, and talk way after the fact, and should have been done at the time. Your like…..obvious?🤭🙈

[Hugh2]

7 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Huh? Huh? Cora said in an interview on NESN last year as the Raffy saga was unfolding, and said he hadn’t talked to Raffy about playing 1B, and WASN’T going to, so your literally the manager isn’t so like obvious, and just the opposite. Nice try, but you failed again. As for the rest of the story it’s easy to come out now, and talk way after the fact, and should have been done at the time. Your like…..obvious?🤭🙈

If it was the teams plan to move Devers to 1B and Cora refused to have that conversation with him then he should of been fired MUCH longer ago.  Your feelings and love for Cora doesn't make things reality. 

 

I mean......who the heck do you think asked him then? the bench coach?

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Wait, was it RI pizza strips/party pizza/bakery pizza? Or was it real pizza? 

It was real, it was mediocre though - we have much better pizza here in RI.

[drewski6]

15 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

If it was the teams plan to move Devers to 1B and Cora refused to have that conversation with him then he should of been fired MUCH longer ago.  Your feelings and love for Cora doesn't make things reality. 

 

I mean......who the heck do you think asked him then? the bench coach?

It wasnt the plan.  

[notin]

1 hour ago, drewski6 said:

i had landed on pizza, but this would have been great.

I mean, pizza is really almost never a bad choice.

Unless you’re heating up that Jack’s Pizza knockoff (supreme toppings) that you purchased at the Shell station 2 years ago and buried in the back of the freezer.  That thing could be lethal by now.  Do the forensics team a favor a discard it today…

[drewski6]

The plan (until Casas got hurt) was to see how Devers shoulder healed.  Once Casas was long term hurt, the plan changed, but again, that was in the fourth quarter of the saga, not the first.

[Hugh2]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

It wasnt the plan.  

It wasn't the plan for Cora to ask him to play 1B? or it wasn't the plan for the bench coach to ask him to play 1B? I mean we now for a fact, because the words literally came out of his mouth that Cora has said it was ******** that Devers was ever asked to put his glove away. 

We know it wasn't the plan for him to play 1B, that's obvious, no one has ever debated that.  Plans change, OLD RED seems to think Alex Cora would never ask him to play 1B.  I'm asking, if not the manager......then who?

[Old Red]

53 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

If it was the teams plan to move Devers to 1B and Cora refused to have that conversation with him then he should of been fired MUCH longer ago.  Your feelings and love for Cora doesn't make things reality. 

 

I mean......who the heck do you think asked him then? the bench coach?

Did you see the interview when Cora said he hadn’t talked with Raffy about playing 1B, and when he was asked if he was going to he said NO? It was pretty well documented, and showed over, and over at the time. Obviously you don’t know my history with Cora on here, because I was called a CORA HATER. I went on that interview with Cora, which was a reality, and a fact. That’s what I went on. Now if Cora wasn’t telling the truth that’s another story, but Facts are Facts on what Cora said. On the other hand you have NO Facts that Cora did askRaffy to play 1B, so you’re just speculating to fit your narrative, which obviously is completely wrong since by all accounts it was bresLOW IN May of 2025 who asked Raffy to play 1B, which is also well documented. Bench coach???🙈

[Old Red]

31 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

It wasn't the plan for Cora to ask him to play 1B? or it wasn't the plan for the bench coach to ask him to play 1B? I mean we now for a fact, because the words literally came out of his mouth that Cora has said it was ******** that Devers was ever asked to put his glove away. 

We know it wasn't the plan for him to play 1B, that's obvious, no one has ever debated that.  Plans change, OLD RED seems to think Alex Cora would never ask him to play 1B.  I'm asking, if not the manager......then who?

Wow! This is some of your worst work. You show up To the party late, and come totally unprepared. You didn’t know Cora said he hadn’t talked to Raffy about playing 1B, which was well documented. You didn’t know Cora said he wasn’t going to, which was well documented, and you didn’t know it was bresLOW who had the discussion with Raffy about playing 1B also well documented. What’s up with that? Come On Man.🙈🤭

[Hugh2]

28 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Did you see the interview when Cora said he hadn’t talked with Raffy about playing 1B, and when he was asked if he was going to he said NO? It was pretty well documented, and showed over, and over at the time. Obviously you don’t know my history with Cora on here, because I was called a CORA HATER. I went on that interview with Cora, which was a reality, and a fact. That’s what I went on. Now if Cora wasn’t telling the truth that’s another story, but Facts are Facts on what Cora said. On the other hand you have NO Facts that Cora did asked Raffy to play 1B, so you’re just speculating to fit your narrative, which obviously is completely wrong since by all accounts it was bresLOW IN May of 2025 who asked Raffy to play 1B, which is also well documented. Bench coach???🙈

Well documented? well then.........provide documentation. 

[Hugh2]

So Old Red appears to be right,  I shall refer to him as the king of Sox talk for a week.  

https://www.mlb.com/news/rafael-devers-unwilling-to-play-first-base-for-red-sox

Still, something stinks about this whole thing. 

Here is what Raffy said 

"In Spring Training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove and I wasn't going to play any other position but DH." - Raffy

 Cora is now on tape officially calling that "********" - Cora

And Raffy also says "they" talked to me, he didn't say he

"It was after the Casas [injury]. ... They came to me and talked to me about it," Devers said. - Raffy

I still have questions, people lie or leave information out.  Who is the "they" who talked to Raffy with Breslow? could it have been Breslow and Cora because Raffy said no to Cora?  Was it Breslow and someone else because Cora wouldn't do it?

Thats a whole cluster f*** of insubordination. Because there is no way Breslow should be doing Alex Coras job like that.  I still don't buy....but a promise is a promise.  So all hail Old Red King of Talksox.  

 

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Well documented? well then.........provide documentation. 

You can go back on the NESN archives, and look it up, and listen yourself.

[Hugh2]

9 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

So Old Red appears to be right,  I shall refer to him as the king of Sox talk for a week.  

https://www.mlb.com/news/rafael-devers-unwilling-to-play-first-base-for-red-sox

Still, something stinks about this whole thing. 

Here is what Raffy said 

"In Spring Training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove and I wasn't going to play any other position but DH." - Raffy

 Cora is now on tape officially calling that "********" - Cora

And Raffy also says "they" talked to me, he didn't say he

"It was after the Casas [injury]. ... They came to me and talked to me about it," Devers said. - Raffy

I still have questions, people lie or leave information out.  Who is the "they" who talked to Raffy with Breslow? could it have been Breslow and Cora because Raffy said no to Cora?  Was it Breslow and someone else because Cora wouldn't do it?

Thats a whole cluster f*** of insubordination. Because there is no way Breslow should be doing Alex Coras job like that.  I still don't buy....but a promise is a promise.  So all hail Old Red King of Talksox.  

 

I also want to know, aside from who the "they" are besides Breslow why Breslow is having that convo?  

If your bosses boss is coming to talk to you about something your boss SHOULD be talking to you about then something is wrong.  I'm sure there's other options but often that is because. 

The boss doesn't want to do it (which is another problem)

Of the boss already asked you to do it and you refused, so the issue moves up the management ladder.  Perhaps this is the "they" who talked to Devers..

[mvp 78]

14 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I shall refer to him as the king of Sox talk for a week.  

Not allowed. 

[Old Red]

12 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

So Old Red appears to be right,  I shall refer to him as the king of Sox talk for a week.  

https://www.mlb.com/news/rafael-devers-unwilling-to-play-first-base-for-red-sox

Still, something stinks about this whole thing. 

Here is what Raffy said 

"In Spring Training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove and I wasn't going to play any other position but DH." - Raffy

 Cora is now on tape officially calling that "********" - Cora

And Raffy also says "they" talked to me, he didn't say he

"It was after the Casas [injury]. ... They came to me and talked to me about it," Devers said. - Raffy

I still have questions, people lie or leave information out.  Who is the "they" who talked to Raffy with Breslow? could it have been Breslow and Cora because Raffy said no to Cora?  Was it Breslow and someone else because Cora wouldn't do it?

Thats a whole cluster f*** of insubordination. Because there is no way Breslow should be doing Alex Coras job like that.  I still don't buy....but a promise is a promise.  So all hail Old Red King of Talksox.  

 

As I’ve said all along most of my opinion on the whole Raffy CF was based on what Cora said in interviews in real time, and what he did, or didn’t do. If Cora would have come out, and said I asked Raffy to play 1B I would have had a different opinion even though I thought Raffy playing 1B was a bad idea, and DH should have stayed his role.

[Old Red]

6 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I also want to know, aside from who the "they" are besides Breslow why Breslow is having that convo?  

If your bosses boss is coming to talk to you about something your boss SHOULD be talking to you about then something is wrong.  I'm sure there's other options but often that is because. 

The boss doesn't want to do it (which is another problem)

Of the boss already asked you to do it and you refused, so the issue moves up the management ladder.  Perhaps this is the "they" who talked to Devers..

As far as I know Cora has never answered why he didn’t talk to Raffy about playing 1B. There has been many theories why, and I would like to know myself.

[Old Red]

14 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I also want to know, aside from who the "they" are besides Breslow why Breslow is having that convo?  

If your bosses boss is coming to talk to you about something your boss SHOULD be talking to you about then something is wrong.  I'm sure there's other options but often that is because. 

The boss doesn't want to do it (which is another problem)

Of the boss already asked you to do it and you refused, so the issue moves up the management ladder.  Perhaps this is the "they" who talked to Devers..

If Cora didn’t agree with Raffy going to 1B I can understand him not talking to Raffy about it, but if he did agree with Raffy going to 1B, and didn’t talk to him about it then that is definitely a bad look on Cora.

[notin]

10 minutes ago, Old Red said:

As far as I know Cora has never answered why he didn’t talk to Raffy about playing 1B. There has been many theories why, and I would like to know myself.

You’ve always been pretty adamant about silencing them.

Lets review some possibilities 

1. Didn’t think it was a good idea to make the change midseason.

Maybe, but it wasn’t really made on the fly.  They did have to get someone to play 1b.  Whether or not Breslow had lined up enough AAAA players was immaterial at this point.

2. Didn’t think Devers could handle 1b.

Unlikely. Cora has thrown players around into new positions before with little to no experience at them.  Defense never felt like a priority with him.

3. Devers was not easy to deal with.

We know it to be true.  From his negotiations to the alleged promise of 3b to the difficulty moving to DH.  The question is - is this why Cora didn’t talk to him?

4. Other?

 

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, notin said:

3. Devers was not easy to deal with.

We know it to be true.  From his negotiations to the alleged promise of 3b to the difficulty moving to DH.  The question is - is this why Cora didn’t talk to him?

His extension was hard to negotiate? Where did we here this from? I don't remember this. 

[drewski6]

27 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

It wasn't the plan for Cora to ask him to play 1B? or it wasn't the plan for the bench coach to ask him to play 1B? I mean we now for a fact, because the words literally came out of his mouth that Cora has said it was ******** that Devers was ever asked to put his glove away. 

We know it wasn't the plan for him to play 1B, that's obvious, no one has ever debated that.  Plans change, OLD RED seems to think Alex Cora would never ask him to play 1B.  I'm asking, if not the manager......then who?

When the comment that was made that Devers interpreted as put your glove away, Casas was the plan at 1b.  Cora said BS on Devers being told to put his glove away but because they hadnt yet given up on him playing 3b, that had nothing to do with 1b.  The timeline is key here.

1. Red Sox sign Bregman
2.  Nothing is communicated to Devers
3.  That weird interview happens when Devers repeatedly refers to himself as a third baseman, not a DH or any other position....People start getting nervous that we have the ingredients for a fall-out
4. Insiders report that the plan is for Bregman to play 2b and Devers to play 3b and this was always the plan.  However, for ST, Devers will DH because his shoulder is still healing.
5. Everyone but Moon and Notin are happy.  THey want Devers at 1b because theyve decided it would be good for team and have been howling at the moon for it for 3+ years.  I disagree and personally think the best hitter on your team should usually DH and they are your most important asset and defense is overrated (except for CF, SS). I also disagreed that Raffy makes too much to DH and was a neg contrct. But most people are just happy that it appears things are getting better in the clubhouse.

6. Devers shoulder continues to not heal enough, so they open the season with Bregman at 3b and KC at 2b.  KC opens the season very hot.  Bregman opens the season very well at 3b.  Neither are looking like they are going anywhere, so where does Raffy play? Is he going to remain a DH this year? Starting to look like it. For that reason....
7.  Its communicated to Raffy at this point that his shoulder is still not healing.  And he will be the DH until he can play in the field, and with Breg/KC/Casas, it may make sense to just remain the DH this year.  And we dont want to lose your bat and that shoulder is still scary.  While true the shoulder isnt healed 100%, its also extremely convenient.  Everyone can see that.  Theres just no place to put Raffy in the field.

8. KC shits the bed and Casas gets seriously hurt for the year.  Suddenly there are vacancies in the infield.  

9. Captain can make any situation worse (Breslow) approaches Devers to play 1b.  I dont think it made sense and I am not sure how Cora felt. Yes he said around this time he did not ask Devers to play 1b, but we dont know how he felt about it.  It wasnt the obvious decision here some think. Personally, I thought it was a bad idea.  Hes mashing at DH at this point, hes not complianing. We are winning. Just leave it there.  I said make Roman the 1b.

10. Of course the situation goes worse. Always does whenever Bresbot talks to anyone cuz he doesnt human well.  But Devers isnt blameless either, and is coming off as a stubborn defiant child.

11. There is a meeting with Henry, Cora, and Devers only.  Bresbot was asked not to attend cuz he makes everything worse.  It sounds like a meeting that went nowhere but with positive spin. "Both sides got a chance to voice their side of things and thats always good, but we still dont know who will play where"

12. Raffy continues to carry our offense and we are hot.

13. Bresbot trades Raffy out of nowhere because Raffy had the balls to not immediately say "yes sir" to Bres the dick-tator.  So Bresbot came around and traded him months left because revenge is a dish best served cold and Breslow is petty.  

Breslow also made plenty of other situations worse too, not just Devers including: ruining relationships with his scouting team, Bregman, Cora, Whitlock, Story, Varitek.

But Breslow is difficult and so is Devers, and they both contributed to a blow up.  But there was only a small point in time when Devers was considered for 1b and it had didnt have much to do with the saga. It was just like chapter 8 in a 10 chapter book of how to expose yourself as a bad baseball CBO.

And this is why even Theo said Bresbot cant human.  But winning cures everything, and we are winning right now, so maybe Breslow escapes with his job intact after this year.  He should already be fired though.

[Old Red]

6 minutes ago, notin said:

You’ve always been pretty adamant about silencing them.

Lets review some possibilities 

1. Didn’t think it was a good idea to make the change midseason.

Maybe, but it wasn’t really made on the fly.  They did have to get someone to play 1b.  Whether or not Breslow had lined up enough AAAA players was immaterial at this point.

2. Didn’t think Devers could handle 1b.

Unlikely. Cora has thrown players around into new positions before with little to no experience at them.  Defense never felt like a priority with him.

3. Devers was not easy to deal with.

We know it to be true.  From his negotiations to the alleged promise of 3b to the difficulty moving to DH.  The question is - is this why Cora didn’t talk to him?

4. Other?

 

I’ve always thought Raffy playing 1B was a bad idea. As I’ve said all through the Raffy saga I went mostly on what Cora said, and what he didn’t, or did do. Having said that the things you listed could have been a possibility, or a combination, Raffy has a fragile ego, and thought he was a good 3B, so that wasn’t a good situation to start with.

[drewski6]

30 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I also want to know, aside from who the "they" are besides Breslow why Breslow is having that convo?  

If your bosses boss is coming to talk to you about something your boss SHOULD be talking to you about then something is wrong.  I'm sure there's other options but often that is because. 

The boss doesn't want to do it (which is another problem)

Of the boss already asked you to do it and you refused, so the issue moves up the management ladder.  Perhaps this is the "they" who talked to Devers..

So you think Coras job is to relay breslows decisions to the players?  Im not so sure that Cora saw it that way.  Im sure Breslow the dictator does.  When Breslow asked to fire Cora, Im surprised they let him.

[drewski6]

16 minutes ago, Old Red said:

If Cora didn’t agree with Raffy going to 1B I can understand him not talking to Raffy about it, but if he did agree with Raffy going to 1B, and didn’t talk to him about it then that is definitely a bad look on Cora.

Cora was at the meeting between JH and Devers.  Red Sox are weird about stepping in and doing other peoples jobs, cant blame Cora.  Just like how now Henry is calling rival GMs not Breslow and nobody knows why.

[drewski6]

18 minutes ago, notin said:

You’ve always been pretty adamant about silencing them.

Lets review some possibilities 

1. Didn’t think it was a good idea to make the change midseason.

Maybe, but it wasn’t really made on the fly.  They did have to get someone to play 1b.  Whether or not Breslow had lined up enough AAAA players was immaterial at this point.

2. Didn’t think Devers could handle 1b.

Unlikely. Cora has thrown players around into new positions before with little to no experience at them.  Defense never felt like a priority with him.

3. Devers was not easy to deal with.

We know it to be true.  From his negotiations to the alleged promise of 3b to the difficulty moving to DH.  The question is - is this why Cora didn’t talk to him?

4. Other?

 

Because they thought that top brass showing face would mean something to devers.  JH thought his direct involvement would be seen as "wow, the owner is here, I guess I am important" by Devers.  And it would help. BUt Devers wasnt about to start sniffing farts like higher ups usually expect.

[notin]

13 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I’ve always thought Raffy playing 1B was a bad idea. As I’ve said all through the Raffy saga I went mostly on what Cora said, and what he didn’t, or did do. Having said that the things you listed could have been a possibility, or a combination, Raffy has a fragile ego, and thought he was a good 3B, so that wasn’t a good situation to start with.

Our thoughts on it are immaterial.  Cora does not consult me on this stuff, and I have a feeling that you’re not in his contacts list either. 
 

I wasn’t subtle about my feelings that he felt Devers was incapable of playing 1b. Has Cora ever refused to move a player’s position for this reason?  And he’s made lots of weird moves, some of which were short term necessities, and some that he let needlessly linger.  And we all do know from watching Kike at SS, Cora doesn’t always let horrific defensive play remove you from your position.
 

Devers probably has a fragile ego, and I question use of the word “probably” there.  He was probably insulted and frustrated, and felt it was handled poorly.  Agreed.  But also, he is an adult, and is paid quite well in a non-decision-making role.  Whether or not is the right decision from a baseball standpoint is not his call.

If the attitude is all praise and blame falls on upper management (I.e. Breslow), certainly understandable. The buck stops here, and Breslow is far from blameless.  

But i can’t excuse Devers for handling it in a manner so petulant.

My question isn’t about the communication issue, which should be reparable among mature adults.  But rather how did it get down to a trade?  Did Devers demand one? Or did Breslow simply decide he was through with Devers and make that call himself?

 

[mvp 78]

25 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

So you think Coras job is to relay breslows decisions to the players? 

Yes.