According to Boston Red Sox radio broadcaster Will Flemming, Rafael Devers hasn’t changed since being traded to the San Francisco Giants.
After being traded to the Giants on June 15, Devers seemed to troll the Red Sox during his introductory press conference by saying he was willing to play wherever his new team wanted him to, including first base — something he refused to do in Boston after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury.
While Devers has been working out at first base over the last few weeks, he’s yet to play there for San Francisco. Based on a story from Flemming, it may be because he’s not taking the transition as seriously as he should be.
During a recent appearance on WEEI, Flemming recounted how Devers blew off Giants legend Will Clark on his second day with the team.
“I was there the second day. Will Clark was there to work on ground balls with him at first base, and Raffy didn’t show up,” Flemming said. “So that’s the person that (the Red Sox) have been dealing with for a long time.”
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Clark, who played for San Francisco from 1986 to 1993, was one of the best first basemen in team history, making five straight All-Star teams and winning a Gold Glove. However, Devers couldn’t be bothered to meet with him three separate times, according to Clark.
Flemming’s story is similar to the one David Ortiz told about constantly reaching out to Devers in an effort to help the young slugger, who rarely responded.
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Devers doesn’t seem very interested in getting advice from baseball legends, which should be a concerning trend for the Giants. People are going out of their way to help him, but he isn’t willing to listen.
The three-time All-Star appeared to turn over a new leaf when he arrived in San Francisco, but Flemming’s story says otherwise. Devers’ words may have changed, but his actions haven’t.
Featured image via Eakin Howard/Imagn Images
