Red Sox legend David Ortiz sounds off on Rafael Devers' blockbuster trade to the Giants

Hunter Cookston

•
Red Sox legend David Ortiz sounds off on Rafael Devers' blockbuster trade to the Giants image

One of the biggest storylines leading up to the MLB trade deadline was the fractured relationship between the Boston Red Sox organization and Rafael Devers. The situation was messy from start to finish, largely due to Devers feeling misled by the team.

“Devers, according to a person familiar with his thinking, felt 'lied to and betrayed' by the Red Sox. Cora, long one of Devers' chief supporters and advocates, supported his expulsion. Craig Breslow, the Red Sox's chief baseball officer whom Devers publicly badmouthed amid the hostility, played hatchet man,” MLB’s Jeff Passan wrote.

As a result, Devers was ultimately traded before the deadline. He landed in the Bay Area, joining the San Francisco Giants.

“The Red Sox had just pulled off a three-game sweep of the rival Yankees for their seventh win in the last eight games and were getting ready for a Sunday night West Coast trip to Seattle when one of the most stunningly timed trades in team history took place. Star slugger Rafael Devers, the lone remaining player from the team’s most recent World Series title squad of 2018, was dealt to the Giants for righty Jordan Hicks, lefty Kyle Harrison and a pair of prospects in outfielder James Tibbs III (Giants No. 4 prospect at the time of the deal) and righty Jose Bello,” MLB.com’s Ian Browne wrote.

During an interview on the ITM Podcast, David Ortiz shared his honest thoughts on the Devers trade.

“Well, to be honest with you, you don't want to let go of a batter like him, of course," Ortiz told Joey Copponi and Scott Neville on the "ITM Podcast" on Friday. "I mean, Raffy is a beast when it comes down to a player that you want in your lineup, you know? And I love Raffy. Like, my thing with the situation is that I would expect a guy like Raffy to be one of the faces of this organization for many reasons. Raffy is a good kid. Don't get that caught up in the confusion, you know. And that's what bothers me most out of the whole thing. We're dealing with a good kid.”

Ortiz understands that losing Devers was a major blow, but he also knows that a star player must be willing to represent the club the right way. Devers’ unwillingness to move positions ultimately made him easier to trade.

Who knows how different the season might have been for the Red Sox if Devers had been open to playing first base or serving strictly as the DH. That very hesitation is what led to his move to San Francisco.

As part of his fundraising efforts, Ortiz is holding a silent auction loaded with priceless items that will be live until Saturday, Nov. 15 at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can also donate to the cause on the David Ortiz Children's Fund's website.

More MLB news:

Contributing writer

Staff Writer