It’s starting to feel a little too familiar for Boston Red Sox fans, isn’t it? First, it was Mookie Betts. Now, Rafael Devers. Another superstar, another homegrown player, and a fan favorite, simply shown the door. This time, it came just days after getting swept by the New York Yankees. Now, as Devers prepares for a fresh start in San Francisco, fans are left thinking—wait, what, again? But as the city buzzed with disbelief, one Red Sox legend stepped forward, drawing a bold line between Devers’ rocky exit and the battles once faced by David Ortiz.

But really, inside the organization, this breakup was something that had been written on the wall for quite some time. It all started in the offseason when the Red Sox signed a superstar in the form of Alex Bregman for a $120 million deal, and that really changed everything.

The Red Sox handed Bregman the third base—Devers’ position. And suddenly, he was a DH, and not by choice. That move didn’t sit well, considering that Devers had said repeatedly that he wanted to stay put at third base. But the front office was silent. And that silence is exactly what Manny Ramirez thinks was the real reason for this breakup. And he didn’t hold back when speaking to MLB reporter Hector Gomez.

Ramirez said, “Devers was humiliated (by the Red Sox). It’s not about pride or ego. I think the team didn’t respect him or communicate with him properly. I can’t imagine the Yankees telling Judge, ‘Now we’re moving you to catcher.’” And he has a point. It wasn’t that they just moved Devers; it’s how they did it. There was no real conversation, no plan, and no sense of respect for what Devers meant to the Red Sox.

Then, after first-baseman Triston Casas got hurt, Boston asked Devers to shift again, this time to first base. That was possibly the last straw. He went public with his frustration, and just like that, the end was written. Additionally, Ramirez, reflecting on his rocky journey, said he once had Ortiz and Pedro Martinez trying to guide him, but he didn’t listen. “Devers needed to have people advising him there on the team. I’m telling you this because I really wasn’t well, and David and Pedro were fighting with me to advise me…,” said Ramirez.

Well, now Devers, just two years into his $313.5 million deal, is a Giant. He’s still hitting .272 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs, but the slights and mishandling in Boston might be something that would echo louder and longer than his home runs for a while.

While one legend, Ramirez, threw a punch at the front office, Ortiz had a different target in mind—Devers himself!

David Ortiz calls out Rafael Devers’ attitude

Big Papi was on a live broadcast when the trade talk exploded, and he didn’t mince words. For him, this was not just a miscommunication between the management and the player; it was also about Devers not understanding the business side of the game.“There are baseball players who think they’re bigger than the game, and the game is over 100 years old,” Ortiz said.

The Boston legend and Hall of Famer added, “What… company pays you $300 million to do whatever you want? They’d tell me ‘jump,’ and I’d jump; ‘roll,’ and I’d roll. That’s why I’m a Hall of Famer, and in Boston they love me—because I was an employee.” He didn’t sugarcoat his message. In his eyes, Devers had the talent, but he let his ego and discomfort come to the forefront over a position change. Then, looking at the broader picture, Ortiz’s stance is surprising because he is the one who really supported Devers back when the third baseman fiasco was going on.

However, according to Ortiz, this is a business. “It’s not your house; it’s not about what you want or don’t want… Devers could have been the face of the Red Sox franchise.” Well, now Devers has packed his bags for the Giants. And the Red Sox are also not folding under pressure. In a rather poetic twist, they notched their first win since the trade on Monday night. They went 2-0 against the Mariners and stretched their win streak to six games now.

As of now, Boston can only hope that life without Devers doesn’t come to bite them in the long run. Do you think it will? Or will their top prospect make up for it? Let us know in the comments.