Red Sox Icon David Ortiz Explains Why Rafael Devers Didn't Work Out In Boston

The Rafael Devers trade was the most explosive moment of the Boston Red Sox's 2025 season, and it could take many more years to digest.

Devers was meant to be the Red Sox's face of the franchise when he signed a 10-year, $313.5 million extension before the 2023 campaign. Just two and a half years later, he was playing for the San Francisco Giants against the Red Sox, clubbing a home run off former teammate Brayan Bello.

A lot of people took the Devers trade hard, but Red Sox legend David Ortiz stands out among that group. Ortiz was vocal in the wake of the trade about his displeasure with the circumstances that led to the trade, particularly with how Devers handled things.

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Ortiz talks Devers trade, five months later

Now that the dust has settled at the end of th season, Ortiz is still bothered by the fact that Devers isn't a Red Sox, but he wants it to be known that it's because he likes Devers and wanted him to stay with the team he loves and still works for.

"Well, to be honest with you, you don't want to let go of a batter like him, of course," Ortiz told Joey Copponi and Scott Neville on the "ITM Podcast" on Friday. "I mean, Raffy is a beast when it comes down to a player that you want in your lineup, you know?

"And I love Raffy. Like, my thing with the situation is that I would expect a guy like Raffy to be one of the faces of this organization for many reasons. Raffy is a good kid. Don't get that caught up in the confusion, you know. And that's what bothers me most out of the whole thing. We're dealing with a good kid."

Ortiz still believes Devers had some fault in the matter, of course. His refusal to try first base when Triston Casas went down in the middle of the season likely set the wheels in motion for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to make the trade, with the blessing of the ownership group, as CEO Sam Kennedy made clear in the wake of the move.

"You know, Raffy can be like my son. I remember I met Raffy when Raffy was 15, developing in a farm down in the Dominican Republic. Like, that was my guy," Ortiz continued. "You know, and, and he still is, I mean, if Raffy ever needed advice from me or anything for his own good, I'm more than open. Because that's how I am.

"Unfortunately, things didn't work for the organization to be on the right track. And unfortunately, sometimes you have to make those moves. I don't argue that with the owners. They are the boss. They are the ones who ask you how much you want on your contract. They agreed (to Devers' contract). But remember, you are an employee. You're not a boss. There are not two bosses. There's just one. John Henry."

As part of his fundraising efforts, Ortiz is holding a silent auction loaded with priceless items that will be live until Saturday, Nov. 15 at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can also donate to the cause on the David Ortiz Children's Fund's website.

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