Boston Red Sox Legend David Ortiz Says Rafael Devers Didn't Take His Advice

Devers was traded from the Red Sox on Sunday and Big Papi is now speaking out.
Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz at fenway for a Make A Wish meet and greet before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on June 10.
Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz at fenway for a Make A Wish meet and greet before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on June 10. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Boston Red Sox traded superstar Rafael Devers on Sunday afternoon, completing one of the more shocking trades in recent memory.

Thus ends a months-long saga between Devers and the team, in which Devers felt blindsided by the signing of Alex Bregman in the offseason and then refused to play first base when the team asked him to in the wake of injury to Triston Casas.

With the deal now done, Red Sox legend David Ortiz is speaking out, per Foul Territory TV:

David Ortiz on Rafael Devers:

"You can't imagine how many times I wrote to Devers trying to give him advice, but unfortunately, he has communication problems. He almost never returned my messages, but I don't blame him. He's a good guy, but he definitely needs to improve his communication. He should find an advisor to help him with that." via (@HGomez27)

Considering Ortiz is a Hall of Famer and one of the most beloved players in team history, those are telling comments. Devers never seemed to embrace the idea of being a leader, even after Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts moved on from Boston. The communication between Devers and the team seems to have been lacking as well, especially after the Bregman signing clearly rubbed him the wrong way.

A three-time All-Star, Devers is a two-time Silver Slugger winner. He is hitting .279 this season with 15 homers and 58 RBIs.

The Red Sox won their first game without him, beating the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Monday night. Roman Anthony hit his first major league home run and Abraham Toro brought in a run with a single.

The two teams will play again on Tuesday at 9:40 p.m. ET.

Related MLB Stories

BANANA BALL IS DANGEROUS?: Sean Casey, who is in the Cincinnati Reds' Hall of Fame, tore his hamstring during an appearance with the Savannah Bananas this weekend. CLICK HERE:

OHTANI ON A ROLL: At the plate, Shohei Ohtani continues to do things we've never seen, making more history this past weekend. CLICK HERE:

REPEAT WINNER?: If Tarik Skubal wins the Cy Young, he'll be the first repeat winner of the award in a quarter century. CLICK HERE:

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.


Published
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.