Rafael Devers Talks Red Sox Exit, Thanks Fans Ahead of Fenway Return

The former Boston Red Sox superstar is back in town.

Aug 15, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rafael Devers is back in Boston first the first time as a member of the San Francisco Giants.

The last time Devers took the field in Boston, he was the guy with the biggest contract in Boston and the expected long-term face of the franchise. Then, drama took over and the Red Sox opted to get out of the Devers business. He was traded to the Giants in June of 2025 in one of the most shocking mid-season swaps in recent memory.

Boston flipped Devers for righty Jordan Hicks, lefty Kyle Harrison and a pair of prospects in outfielder James Tibbs III and righty Jose Bello. Hicks, Harrison and Tibbs are all out of the Red Sox's system. Only Bello remains. He's pitching for Class-A Salem and has a 3.92 ERA in 62 innings of work.

The deal was more about offloading Devers — and his albatross contract — than the return. Ahead of Friday's series opener between the Red Sox and the Giants, Devers spoke to the media and had a brief message for the fans.

Rafael Devers Is Back

Aug 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) reacts after striking out during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“It’s my first time coming back to Boston,” Devers said with team translator Erwin Higueros interpreting, as transcribed by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I have not experienced this before, so I don’t know what to expect. ... I simply want to say thank you very much for all the support they gave me through my years here. And they will always be special in my heart.”

He continued and acknowledged the business nature of the decision and also talked about his past "mistakes."

“I don’t want to think about the past. I don’t want to talk about the past. But at the same time, we’re all men, we’re all grown-ups. We have to understand this is the business of baseball, but at the same time, you make mistakes and you have to move on and mature.”

At the end of the day, the Devers deal is in the past. The Red Sox have been great overall since. The organization made it back to the playoffs last year and is well on its way back now. It's unfortunate how things went down between the Red Sox and the veteran slugger, but Boston is going to be just fine in the long run.

Friday night will be interesting seeing how Boston fans react to Devers' return. But after the game, this should be a topic that goes away.