Rafael Devers is now part of the Giants, but new details continue to emerge about his time with the Boston Red Sox. The latest revelation: he reportedly paid little attention to a former player who tried to guide him into becoming the face of the franchise.
The Red Sox legend who attempted to mentor Devers was none other than David Ortiz. Speaking recently on Instagram Live, Ortiz shared that he reached out to Devers multiple times offering advice, but rarely got a response. According to Ortiz, Devers didn’t seem interested in receiving guidance.
The trade itself was already a shock, but it became even more surprising when reports surfaced that the Red Sox no longer viewed Devers as fully committed to the team. Now, with Ortiz revealing Devers’ reluctance to take advice, things are beginning to make a little more sense.
Why did Ortiz try to help Devers?
There are likely two reasons. First, they share Dominican roots. Second, both served as designated hitters during their time in Boston. As a veteran and World Series champion, Ortiz would have been more than qualified to mentor the young slugger.
Devers didn’t quite match Ortiz’s production during his first nine MLB seasons with the Red Sox. Ortiz posted a .289 batting average and hit 320 home runs over that span, while Devers managed a .279 average with 215 home runs.
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The trade also caught another Red Sox player off guard
Former teammate Trevor Story admitted he was “just as shocked as everyone else” when he learned Devers had been traded. He also revealed that no one from the Red Sox organization had communicated the move to the players—only manager Alex Cora had brought it up.