Giants, Rafael Devers Break Silence On Slugger's Position After Turmoil With Red Sox

Devers won't be playing the same role in San Francisco...

Jun 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) fields a ground ball during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Rafael Devers' public refusal to play first base for the Boston Red Sox won't carry over to his time on the San Francisco Giants.

After arriving in San Francisco for his new team's three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians, Devers gave an introductory press conference at Oracle Park, surrounded by Giants brass, which included president of baseball operations Buster Posey and manager Bob Melvin.

In Boston, barely a month ago, Devers stood in front of the media and said he wasn't willing to play first base, acting incredulous that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had asked him to do so.

That won't be the case in San Francisco.

“They’re the men in charge. I’m here to play wherever they want me to play," Devers said of Posey and Melvin, via translator (per MassLive's Chris Cotillo).

Meanwhile, Giants manager Bob Melvin spelled out the Giants' plan for Devers, which includes, as Red Sox fans may shudder to hear, making the switch to first base at times after spending the entire season so far as the designated hitter in Boston.

"He's going to DH today. He's going to hit in the three-spot," Melvin said (via NBC Sports Bay Area). "We're going to work him in and get him some ground balls at first and make sure he's comfortable before we put him over there, and that's pretty much how we look at it right now: a little bit of DH and a little bit of first."

Devers has not played in a major league game at first base. He was the DH in every single one of the Red Sox's first 73 games of the season after playing 951 games at third base over his first eight seasons.

Other than the noteworthy position change, Devers had no drama to air out with the Red Sox or Breslow. He thanked his old organization for signing him as a teenager, was complimentary of the fans and his time in Boston, and said he wasn't going to discuss any of the drama with Breslow or the rest of the Red Sox brass.

It remains to be seen how soon Devers will get into a game at first base. The Red Sox arrive in San Francisco on Thursday and begin a three-game series with their old slugger at Oracle Park on Friday.

To say that the matchup will be supercharged with emotion cannot be overstated.

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