A three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner during his time with the Boston Red Sox, Rafael Devers’ talent is unquestionable. That talent earned him an 11-year, $313.5 million contract in 2023.
Attitude issues, however, have often made him a difficult player for organizations to deal with. After he controversially resisted playing in a different position to cover for injured first baseman Triston Casas, the Red Sox ultimately decided to trade him to the San Francisco Giants halfway through the 2025 season.
Much was expected from Devers when he came to Oracle Park, as he was one of the best hitters in the majors when he made the move. Unfortunately for those of a San Francisco Giants persuasion, the more problematic side of Devers’ personality surfaced once again during Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins.
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With his team down by a run in the ninth inning, Rafael Devers, the leadoff man, earned a walk. As he is ranked as one of the slowest players in the majors, Giants skipper Tony Vitello opted to send in speedy rookie Jonah Cox as a pinch runner. However, Devers reacted angrily to this move, visibly expressing his displeasure as he walked off the field.
This has naturally been a hot topic amongst fans and experts alike, and many have accused him of placing himself above the team. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Tony Vitello defended the slugger, shutting down the criticism.
“He’s the same guy,” Vitello said (Timestamp: 0:12). “I mean, what you see on Twitter, or what you see on TV, or you’re looking into the dugout and you think you have a good vibe, you don’t really know until you’re around it. To me, he’s the same guy all the time.
“You got a guy that wants to stay on the field, wants to win, and is confident in his abilities. I don’t know of a time where he’s ever been disrespectful to a teammate, and I can’t think of a moment when he wasn’t in the dugout ecouraging the team. If anything he’s probably guilty of being too hard on himself when he gets out.”
“It was a misunderstanding” – Rafael Devers issues apology to Giants skipper
On Tuesday, Rafael Devers issued an apology to his manager, Tony Vitello, explaining his thought process leading upto the much-discussed ninth inning incident against the Marlins.
“I think it was a misunderstanding,” Devers said via an interpreter. “I thought the hamstring was the reason he was taking me out of the game.”
Most recently, Rafael Devers and the Giants were in action on Sunday, beating the Atlanta Braves 3-2 at home.
Edited by Raghav Mehta
