SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 03: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants looks on from the dugout against the New York Mets in the bottom of the six inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on April 03, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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The San Francisco Giants knew they were taking on more than just a superstar bat when they acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox one year ago.
The blockbuster trade delivered one of baseball’s most accomplished hitters to San Francisco, but it also came after weeks of reports on growing tension between Devers and the organization that he had spent his entire career with. As a result, many wondered how the relationship would evolve with a new manager, a new clubhouse and a new set of expectations.
Now, Giants manager Tony Vitello has opened up about his interactions with Devers, acknowledging that there have been occasional misunderstandings while attempting to gloss over the severity of the issues.
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The Rafael Devers trade remains one of the defining baseball transactions of the past several seasons.
“One year ago today, June 15, the Boston Red Sox sent shockwaves through baseball when they traded third baseman-turned-DH Rafael Devers and the $230 million or so remaining on his contract to the San Francisco Giants for four players,” CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa recalled this week. “Devers was the latest homegrown star to depart Boston, joining Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts, and it was in part due to drama of their own creation. Remember all that stuff about Devers not playing first base? All involved could have handled that better.”
For years, the Giants had struggled to attract big bats to join the team in free agency. Acquiring Devers seemed to resolve those issues, but he hasn’t performed as hoped at the plate so far. And there has seemed to be some off-field issues as well, with Devers refusing to speak to San Francisco media during a prolonged slump.
Given that backdrop, questions about Devers' fit in San Francisco have been raised and now the team’s rookie manager has addressed them directly.
“We’ve had some moments,” Vitello told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser. “Most of it boils down to getting to know each other, he misreads something I do, I misread something he does, or I’m curious about something and give him a chance to explain and vice versa, too. We’ve definitely had moments, but at the end of the day, it’s really been more about that and not much more.”
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And that history, combined with a team that is performing well below preseason expectations, has naturally created some concerns that similar issues could emerge in San Francisco.
But Vitello’s remarks indicate that the relationship remains healthy despite occasional bumps along the way. And that candor might be more encouraging for fans than an attempt to act as if Devers and the manager haven’t encountered any tension whatsoever this year.
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