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.” A direct jab!

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.” 

But now it’s done, the Red Sox and the Giants got what they wanted. The move was a chance for Boston. They fixed their pitching depth by adding right-hander Jordan Hicks. After all, he is known for doing high-leverage work in the major leagues. They also brought in Kyle Harrison, and prospects such as James Tibbs III and Jose Bello.

So, yeah, after years of searching for a true hitter, Devers might be the right fit for the San Francisco Giants. In his Giants debut as a DH, he went 2-for-5 with a run-scoring double in a 3-2 loss. And for Devers, “The past is in the past.” He is happy and, deep down, knows something was coming.

Rafael Devers heads West and says he knew it was coming

Rafael Devers said that he wasn’t surprised when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants out of the blue. He didn’t expect it to happen. Especially, just after he hit a home run that helped the Red Sox sweep the Yankees. Devers told the Boston Globe, “I was surprised when it happened, but I knew it was coming.” He also said that he knows about the “business of baseball.”

That’s not it. He also mentioned that Boston asked him to switch to 1B, but he wanted time and guarantees before doing so. Devers told Red Sox owner John Henry, “Maybe next year.” He was worried about how Boston would deal with more lineup changes following more injuries. The discussion revolved around the team wanting players to play multiple positions, which Devers mentioned he was open to in various scenarios. But Boston couldn’t wait for the next year.

On June 17, Devers made an impact in his first game for San Francisco at Oracle Park. He went 2-for-5 with a 111.4-mph RBI double. In the third inning, the Giants led briefly. In his Giants debut, Devers had two hits and an RBI with a late single as the Giants lost 3-2 to Cleveland.

All in all, Rafael Devers has settled in for a new start. Unlike in Boston, he will play first base when ready. He is practicing and will play whenever the Giants management wants him to play. He won’t discuss leaving the Red Sox. But he knows: “I’m here to play wherever they want me to play.” He seems thrilled to be doing it in San Francisco.