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The San Francisco Giants introduced their newest addition to the local media on Tuesday, as three-time All-Star Rafael Devers held his introductory press conference hours before he was slated to make his team debut against the Cleveland Guardians. Devers, for those wondering, is expected to be in the lineup, batting third and starting at designated hitter.
The Giants, of course, obtained Devers as part of a five-player trade with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night. That trade was seemingly precipitated by Devers’ refusal to take up first base following Triston Casas’ season-ending injury. Devers had previously clashed with Boston’s front office after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to take over third base without clearing it with him.
Devers was, predictably, asked several questions about his falling out with the Red Sox. He elected against criticizing or taking potshots at his old team. Instead, he opened his portion of the presser by thanking the Boston organization for signing him and beginning his professional career. When Devers was asked about clearing up any misconceptions about how his tenure in Boston ended, he responded by saying through an interpreter: “That’s in the past. I’m moving forward. I really don’t want to talk about it.”
As for the matter of Devers’ position with the Giants, he expressed a willingness to do whatever the club’s braintrust want from him.
“They’re the men in charge,” he said through an interpreter. “I am here to play wherever they want me to play.”
Giants manager Bob Melvin said that Devers will see time at both DH and first base, where Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith have been taking most of the playing time recently.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey, who stressed repeatedly that Devers is “a dude,” said conversations between the Giants and the Red Sox began three or four weeks ago before heating up.
“I was texting with (Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow) today and we were just thanking each other for the candor and respect that went into this negotiation,” Posey said.
Devers, 28, appeared in 73 games with the Red Sox this season, hitting .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs and 18 doubles. His 153 OPS+ would represent a new single-season best for him if he’s able to maintain that mark. His contributions have been worth an estimated 2.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to the calculations housed at Baseball Reference.