In Hindsight, the Rafael Devers Trade Needed to Happen

When news of the Rafael Devers trade broke, I never thought that I would wind up here. We all knew that the relationship between Devers and Craig Breslow was likely non-existent and there would have to be extensive work from both parties to repair it. I even originally said Breslow couldn’t handle being called out and he was throwing a temper tantrum by trading the team’s $300 million franchise player. Then, more information started to come out. First, Yahoo’s Joon Lee published an excellent piece that puts both sides at fault in various ways, then David Ortiz himself had some eye opening comments, and finally Craig Breslow and Sam Kennedy had their media session to answer questions from reporters that cover the team. The comments made by both men were the most open comments that we’ve heard from either of them in quite some time. Throughout all of this though, what became clearer and clearer was that for the Boston Red Sox to succeed, Rafael Devers no longer needed to be in the clubhouse.

If you haven’t had a chance to read Lee’s article linked above, you should make time to do so. It’s an in-depth dive into the behind the scenes world of the Red Sox and offers some damning evidence that both sides are at fault in this situation. It highlights the issues between Breslow and Devers, showcasing that even after Devers told Breslow and Alex Cora that he was “good to do what they want me to do”, he refused to attempt to learn first base once Triston Casas went down with a season-ending injury. This isn’t news to those of us that follow the team, but it still should sit wrong with us. We understood that Devers felt jerked around after he was told he would play third, then was told he was going to DH, then was asked to play first. The flip side of that, though, is that he’s an employee of the Boston Red Sox and should want to do what’s best for the team. Then, when Alex Bregman went down with a quad injury, we all expected Devers to jump at the chance to get back on the field and play third this season. Cora remained steadfast that Devers wouldn’t man the hot corner and the team called up Marcelo Mayer. While hindsight is 20/20, this should have been the next indicator that things behind the scenes were far more fractured than we knew. 

What is maybe the most concerning thing from Lee’s article is this quote: “According to multiple sources, Devers was also upset when the rookie Campbell volunteered to play first base this season — interpreting it as a slight to his own stature.”

What?

Devers, someone positioned to at least be an on-field leader and someone for the young core to look up to and lean on, felt he was slighted when Campbell volunteered to change positions and do what the team needed? That’s absolute insanity and is the type of voice you actively don’t want inside the clubhouse when it’s stocked with such young players. You’d much rather have them lean on veterans like Alex Bregman, who has been present and very visible during his stint on the injured list, instead of watching Devers sulk around and be mad that someone else was willing to step up and do what he should have done in the first place. Make it make sense.

On top of Lee’s excellent article, we had Red Sox legend David Ortiz make some incredibly candid comments about the situation too.

He then spoke to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic saying, “I know the communication between Devers and the Red Sox wasn’t the best at the very beginning,” Ortiz said. “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… Whenever they needed me as a first baseman, I was available. I never thought about it twice…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 that Devers was like that. He’s humble. He’s a good kid. But sometimes when you’re young and immature, you (don’t realize that).” On top of that, he said he reached out to Devers on multiple occasions to try and work with him and Devers rarely responded. 

How can someone that was paid to be the guy in Boston ignore one of the most beloved members of the organization? While Ortiz wasn’t a perfect, model teammate in Boston — he had his flare ups with the front office as well — he always realized that at the end of the day, he was going to do what they asked because it was for the best of the team. That’s something Devers failed to understand. For Ortiz to be so candid and open about his opinion on the situation is telling. He’s far closer to the organization than any of us could ever hope to be and he likely has his finger on the pulse of the team. At the end of the day, this likely boils down to Devers’ immaturity getting in the way of him realizing that putting his ego aside and doing what the team needed him to do is a large part of the reason he’s no longer in Boston.

I sincerely wish Rafael Devers the best. He’s one of my favorite players and I’ll follow his career in San Francisco in the same way I still follow Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. I’ll make a point to go see the Giants when they play in St. Louis so I can watch Devers specifically. I’m still a bit sad that I won’t get to see him suit up for the Red Sox, but at the end of the day, this trade needed to happen. We were blindsided and shocked, but with all of the information now available to us, we should be able to take a step back and realize that while trading away another franchise player stings, this time it may be the exact thing this team needs to move forward.