Rafael Devers rumor proves Red Sox may have been right all along

Almost a month later, Boston Red Sox fans are still trying to process the team's massive decision to send Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. It was a shock at the time, to put it mildly: A team jettisoning its best hitter for a seemingly underwhelming return, all while in the thick of the playoff hunt, just 24 hours or so after a rousing home sweep of their hated rival.

But now that we've had some time for the shock to wear off ... does this deal start to look a bit different in the cold light of day? The sky hasn't fallen for Boston just yet: The Red Sox have only gone 10-9 since the deal went down, but they remain smack in the middle of the AL playoff picture, 6.5 games back in the AL East and just two games back of the final Wild Card spot entering play on Tuesday.

The Giants, meanwhile, aren't doing so hot. San Francisco is just 9-11 since acquiring its new star slugger, falling well off the pace of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Devers himself hasn't been what Buster Posey and Co. had hoped, slugging just .387 in his first 20 games with his new team. And if at least one rumor is to be believed, the same questions that dogged him in Boston have followed him to the Bay.

Red Sox radio voice Will Flemming joined WEEI's afternoon radio show on Monday, and he had some ... less than kind things to say about how Devers is fitting in with the Giants.

"He's going to hit home runs, of course he is," Flemming began. "They don't yet know what's 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."

Clark is a Giants legend, a former No. 2 overall pick who made five All-Star appearances over eight seasons with the team. He also developed a reputation as a slick-fielding first baseman, even winning a Gold Glove in 1991; the fact that he was willing to come to Oracle Park and offer Devers some help as he looked to make a part-time transition to first base was a meaningful show of support. How did Raffy respond? By spitting in their face, apparently, and giving even more credence to the whispers about why the Red Sox were so eager to get rid of him in the first place.

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Same old questions have followed Rafael Devers to San Francisco

Eventually, Devers is going to hit with the Giants. He's too good not to, and Boston knew that when it decided to pull the trigger on sending him away. But it did so anyway, both because of concerns over how his contract will age and, more pointedly, concerns over how his attitude would continue to affect the clubhouse. Who knows what the real story is behind this pregame workout — inflammatory reports from radio shows are to be taken with at least a small pinch of salt — but if there's at least some truth to it, it would seem that both of those concerns were well-founded.

San Francisco doesn't need Devers to do a ton in the field. They've got Matt Chapman at the hot corner for the long haul, and there are players like Wilmer Flores and Casey Schmitt who can capably man first base and take at least some of the burden off of Devers' shoulders. But it would be helpful if he weren't a full-time DH, at least not yet, and much of the drama in Boston stemmed from Devers' refusal to be treated as such. It would seem to be in everyone's best interest for him to get worked in at first ... and yet, it seems like Devers himself doesn't much care about the plan.

But put the on-field concerns off to one side. The fact that Devers presumably agreed to this plan, and agreed to a workout with Clark, only to allegedly blow him off, just gives more ammunition to those around the Red Sox who already were skeptical of his ability to be a good teammate.

Much of what went down this spring could be at least partially put at the feet of Craig Breslow and Alex Cora, who sure seem like they lied to Devers' face about their plans for the season and then were far from diplomatic about changing course. But the Giants are starting fresh, and seem to be operating in good faith and with clear communication. The fact that Devers is pulling much of the same behavior again suggests maybe he was the problem all along.