Rafael Devers may be less open to playing defense with the San Francisco Giants than his initial comments after the Red Sox dealt him to the Bay indicated.
Play-by-play broadcaster Will Flemming shared an interesting tidbit on WEEI Afternoons Monday regarding the recently-departed slugger’s attitude with his new club.
Recall how he made headlines by stating, “I’m here to play wherever they want me to play,” once he landed in San Francisco last month, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
But Flemming said, while on the ground in the Bay that very week, Devers eschewed taking infield practice reps with Giants special assistant Will Clark.
“He’s going to hit home runs, of course he is,” Flemming said. “They don’t yet know what is going to happen with the player. I was there the second day, Will Clark was there to work on ground balls with him at first base, and Raffy didn’t show up. So, that’s the person these guys have been dealing with for a long time.”
Flemming further detailed how far owner John Henry took his in-person meeting with Devers about returning to the field for the Sox:
“The owner’s flying in and, frankly, begging him to do it? They had to move on.”
The Red Sox traded their designated hitter on June 15, immediately following a sweep of the New York Yankees.
Devers has batted .240 since the trade to the Giants and slugged two home runs in those 20 games.