Rafael Devers Opens up on Why Refusal To Play First Base Changed With Giants

Rafael Devers was unwilling to move to first base for the Boston Red Sox, but that hasn't carried over to the San Francisco Giants.

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Rafael Devers has joined the San Francisco Giants with a fresh start and a renewed enthusiasm for his team, despite the first game against his former team not going as expected.

However, while the blockbuster trade solved the immediate issue of a hitter, it hasn’t yet solved the secondary need of a first baseman ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Devers went 0-for-5 in Friday’s 7-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox as the Giants’ designated hitter.

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As San Francisco skipper Bob Melvin made clear before the game, that will be his position for now as he settles in.

It would have been rash to put Devers at first base in his first game against the Red Sox, especially since that was the reason he left.

As Jesse Rogers from ESPN.com reports, it is encouraging for the Giants that Devers' refusal to play first base was specific to his time in Boston.

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Devers spoke through an interpreter on Friday and explained that the timing and lack of communication caused the discontent.

"I put up some good numbers in Boston, and I feel like I earned some respect," Devers said through an interpreter. "If they would have asked me at the beginning of spring training, yes, I would have played first."

With Devers having never played first base in the majors, the request to learn a new position two months into the season pushed the DH away from the organization.

Things appear to be different in San Francisco, where there’s no rush to employ him in a new role, instead moving Wilmer Flores there.

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The Giants also have a long-term answer to the role played by top prospect Bryce Eldridge, which eases the situation.

The key to the relationship breakdown in Boston wasn’t the position itself. It was the approach to communicating , or the lack thereof.

That, and the fact that it was all preceded by the Red Sox signing Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman in spring training, which is when Boston asked Devers to move to DH.

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San Francisco has made strong moves this season, as the flurry of roster moves that got rid of Lamonte Wade Jr. jolted the team to keep the momentum going into the trade for Devers.

It would’ve been easy to ask Devers to fill that same need on their roster. By not electing to do that, they may have landed themselves a willing eventual first baseman in return.

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