Giants icon Will Clark reveals Rafael Devers didn't show for first-base workout
History could be repeating itself for Rafael Devers and the Giants, and not in a good way.
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San Francisco acquired the star slugger in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox last month, but Devers might already have gotten off on the wrong foot with one Giants legend.
'We were in San Francisco right after that trade happened,' Red Sox broadcaster Will Flemming shared Monday on WEEI Sports Radio's 'WEEI Afternoons.' '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 Rafi didn't show up.
'So that's the person that these guys [the Red Sox] have been dealing with for a long time.'
While Red Sox manager Alex Cora labeled the stunning trade as 'not personal,' several reports indicate Devers left Boston with souring relationships around the organization.
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Devers appeared to have a fallout with the Red Sox over his role with the team. Devers played third base for the first eight years of his MLB career before Boston moved him to DH this season to make way for Alex Bregman, whom the Red Sox signed to a three-year, $120 million free-agent contract this past offseason.
But there also was speculation that Devers was a bad teammate and a bad influence in the Red Sox clubhouse. Even Red Sox and baseball icon David Ortiz openly was critical of Devers and his communication, or lack thereof, over the years.
'You can't imagine how many times I wrote to Devers trying to give him advice, but unfortunately, he has communication problems,' Ortiz told Dominican baseball insider Hector Gomez. 'He almost never returned my messages, but I don't blame him.
'He's a good guy, but he definitely needs to improve his communication. He should find an advisor to help him with that.'
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Ortiz continued to take subtle jabs at Devers, sharing a social media post to his Instagram story about what it means to play for the Red Sox organization.
'The thing is that to have some like this at Boston you have to just not be a hitter you have to be the full package a all the way around player… go Sox.'
After multiple clashes between Devers and the organization, a fresh start seemed like the best solution for all parties involved. That continues to be the hope for Devers and San Francisco.
Luckily for Devers, Clark was understanding of the situation and looked at it with an open mind.
Clark believes Devers didn't show up to take grounders with him during that Giants-Red Sox series because he didn't want to be at first base, a position he refused to play with Boston, right in front of the dugout of his former team.
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Clark revealed that Giants manager Bob Melvin and third-base coach Matt Williams asked him to meet with Devers and work with him around first base. And while he was forgiving of being stood up, Clark issued a stern warning to Devers for the next time he's in town.
'Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he did not come out at all. Period. Not at all,' Clark shared on the 'Deuces Wild with Eric Byrnes & Will Clark' podcast. 'I completely understand. But Rafael Devers, next time I'm in San Francisco, your ass will be on the field at first base. Just letting you know that. Even if I have to go grab you by the f–king back of the neck and drag your ass out there, you will be at first base.'
In 20 games since his arrival with the Giants, Devers has still only played DH, is slashing .240/.348/.387 with just two home runs and 9 RBI, and has struck out 28 times.
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