David Ortiz Escalates Rafael Devers Drama With Unexpected Shots After

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 7:15 AM

david ortiz escalates rafael devers drama with unexpected shots after

Not all trades in Major League Baseball are cut and dry, as we’ve seen from the recent example of left-handed slugger Rafael Devers. The trade came after a reported fallout with his then-team, the Boston Red Sox. On Sunday, the Red Sox sent Devers to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, along with minor leaguers James Tibbs and Jose Bello. The Giants also agreed to take on the remainder of Devers’ contract, which will pay him $226.5 million over the eight seasons following 2025. With the trade dominating headlines, both former and current MLB stars are chiming in with their thoughts. The latest to weigh in is Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz.

Try PFSN's FREE fantasy baseball trade analyzer to help you make the best decisions for your fantasy teams! In an Instagram story shared Friday afternoon, the former designated hitter and first baseman said that to stay in Boston, players need to bring more than just their bat. Over the last week, Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz has made his thoughts on the team's trade of Rafael Devers clear. Ortiz has had a lot to say about the deal. Here's a snippet of some of what Ortiz has said to this point, as shared by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. "I played for the Red Sox a long time," Ortiz said.

"You think everything with me and the Red Sox was roses and flowers? I went through some tough times also. But I was mature enough to understand and keep things internal. Even in the best families, between the best brothers, s—- happens. You need to have to the maturity to resolve the problems and move on... "I think it would be easier, if they pay you that kind of money, to go, ‘(Explicit) it, let’s do it.’ But players’ egos play a big role sometimes.

I’ve seen it with so many players. Sammy Sosa. A-Rod, my friend. Manny Ramirez, you name it. And guess what? At the end of the day .

. . you know you did wrong. Once you mature, you understand." Ortiz has spoken out about the deal a few times and turned to Instagram on Friday afternoon to take a not-so-subtle shot at the former Boston slugger. He shared a photo of himself next to his famous No.

34 at Fenway Park with the caption: The Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a shocking move on Sunday night. The trade ends a long saga between Devers and the front office in Boston. When the Red Sox originally signed Alex Bregman, Devers pushed back, noting that he would keep playing third base. Eventually, he was made the everyday designated hitter. However, things took another turn when Devers was asked by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to play first base in the wake of Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury.

"They told me that they didn't want to allow me to play any other position," Devers said in a rant to the media. "And now I think they should do their job essentially and hit the market and look for another player (to play first base). I'm not sure why they want me to be in between, the way they have me now." "Here in the clubhouse, thankfully, the relationship that I have with my teammates is great," Devers continued. "I don't understand some of the decisions that the GM makes. Next thing you know someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield.

I think I know the kind of player I am. And yeah, that's just where I stand." His public comments against Breslow were likely the tipping point in the relationship. While the organization is not completely free of fault, Red Sox legend David Ortiz called out Devers. David Ortiz Fires Shots at Rafael Devers, Giants After Stunning Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Longtime Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers now plays for the San Francisco Giants, and Red Sox legend David Ortiz doesn’t envy him one bit.

“I prefer to play in Boston than freezing-(expletive) San Francisco for the next 10 years,” Ortiz said. Ortiz, who now works as a special assistant to the Red Sox, had plenty to say on Sunday’s unexpected blockbuster. Boston dealt Devers, the face of the franchise and a three-time All-Star, to the Giants on Sunday night for starting pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks, along with outfield prospect James Tibbs III and... Speaking candidly with Fox Sports teammate and The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, Ortiz said both sides hold responsibility for the relationship breaking down. Devers, a natural third baseman, turned heads in spring training when he refused to move to first base or DH after Alex Bregman’s arrival. Rafael Devers was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, and nearly a week later, he’s still catching flak.

Red Sox legend and Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz took to Instagram, calling Boston the “best organization in baseball” and lobbing what appeared to be a stray shot at Devers in the process. “The thing is, to have someone like this at Boston you have to just not be a hitter, you have to be the whole package,” Ortiz posted, alongside a photo of his No. 34 statue at Fenway Park. That felt like a direct jab from Big Papi, who, ironically, became famous as a designated hitter with remarkable power — but could more than hold his own at first base. There’s no denying Devers is one of baseball’s best hitters. But dysfunction surrounding the Red Sox and Devers began over the winter, when Boston signed free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman.

Defensively, Bregman is simply the better third baseman. But Devers refused to move off third throughout spring training — and declined when asked to transition to first base. Pro Football and Sports Network covers all the major professional sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Tennis, WNBA, NASCAR, and more. Not all trades in Major League Baseball are cut and dry, as we’ve seen from the recent example of left-handed slugger Rafael Devers. The trade came after a reported fallout with his then-team, the Boston Red Sox. On Sunday, the Red Sox sent Devers to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, along with minor leaguers James Tibbs and Jose Bello.

The Giants also agreed to take on the remainder of Devers’ contract, which will pay him $226.5 million over the eight seasons following 2025. With the trade dominating headlines, both former and current MLB stars are chiming in with their thoughts. The latest to weigh in is Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz. In an Instagram story shared Friday afternoon, the former designated hitter and first baseman said that to stay in Boston, players need to bring more than just their bat. The band-aid was officially ripped off for Boston Red Sox fans on Friday night. Less than one week after the shocking trade that saw the Red Sox deal Rafael Devers to the Giants, the two teams opened a three-game series against each other in San Francisco.

While the Red Sox have been taking hits throughout the week for their handling of Devers and the trade, they kept their former superstar hitless. Devers went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. Friday's game was far from the final chapter of the story detailing Devers' breakup with the Red Sox organization. That story seems to have taken another twist as Red Sox legend David Ortiz took to Instagram on Friday with what was a pretty direct swipe at Devers. Despite Ortiz originally having the perception of being Devers' mentor during his early years with the Red Sox, he has wasted no time in siding with the organization over what went down. Ortiz's Instagram story came a few days after he was critical of Devers' communication skills.

It's become clear that since the trade, for Ortiz, nothing is more important than the Red Sox organization, and he is toting the company line. Ortiz praising the Red Sox as being the "best organization in baseball" comes at a time when the team's front office is getting shredded by nearly every insider and fan. Look no further than Jeff Passan pointing a finger at the Red Sox for how the divorce with Devers became so complicated. The curtain may have fallen on the Rafael Devers Red Sox era, but the hum of his leaving still lingers through Fenway’s hallowed halls. And now, the voice from the Red Sox royalty has been heard—David Ortiz, a Boston great with 483 career home runs. Recently, he made a biting comment that goes right to the heart of the nasty divorce.

Rafael Devers didn’t get moved because his bat was cold. In fact, it was on fire, hitting .271/.400/.494 with 55 walks, the most in the AL. Boston’s story wasn’t about home runs; it was about positional drama. And after a crazy shuffle, the Red Sox made a trade move that got everyone talking. Now that Ortiz has chimed in, the tale has gotten even better. Just when you thought things were finally settling, the “Big Papi” just hit a homer in his style.

On Friday, Ortiz shared a pic on his Instagram story with his number 34, with a caption that caught everyone’s attention. “Best organization in baseball. The thing is that to have some[one] like this at Boston you have to just not be a hitter, you have to be the full package all the way around player … go Sox.”... David Ortiz’s IG story. Wow 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/3MIpQ7iaWw David Ortiz has never turned his head from sharing his thoughts on this drama.

Just a few weeks prior to the trade, he was pretty open about this topic with The Athletic. He said, the relationship between the club and Devers “wasn’t going to end well.” Why? Because of attitude problems and Rafael Devers’ inability to “put [his] ego aside” after signing that huge deal. And players must “find a way to do what you’re told.”

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