Four months later, Rafael Devers’ first interview in spring training hits home.
“I don’t want to be called a leader,” he said in February. “I don’t want to come across that I’m a leader.”
Fair enough. But if leadership isn’t Devers’ bag, some accountability would be nice.
Devers, the Giants’ best-paid player, has underperformed since arriving from Boston a year ago, and he showed up his manager, Tony Vitello, by refusing to exit for a pinch-runner Sunday in Miami – a scene that underscores the Giants’ leadership issues.
Tuesday, in a rare interview at his Oracle Park locker, Devers tried to explain himself but wound up blaming the media for the negative backlash he received for his actions. It’s an old and tired trick employed by politicians, public figures, and athletes to avoid admitting guilt, deflect scrutiny, and shift blame elsewhere to an easy target, the messengers.
“I think what it is, the media in general — you guys — just blow everything out of proportion,” Devers said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “I think it’s a reflection that I really don’t talk to you guys. I really don’t talk to the media. So because I don’t talk to the media, things like this happen. So you guys write everything and try to blow everything out of proportion.”
It was a bizarre comment. When Devers struggled after arriving from last June’s trade, he was basically given a pass by the media and fans because he had been dealing with a new team, new league, new ballpark, new coast, and new teammates. The anticipation was that he’d rally in 2026 and play like his old self, but his numbers are worse across the board.
Rather than showing accountability and admitting he made a mistake in Miami, Devers tried to defend why he wagged his finger and waved off Jonah Cox, who was sent by Vitello to pinch-run for Devers in the ninth inning with the Giants trailing 2-1. Vitello’s decision to summon the much faster Cox was the right one.
Strangely, Devers denied it was a bad look or that he disrespected Vitello, but he did say he apologized to the manager just in case Vitello felt disrespected and thought he was getting pulled because of his sore hamstring and, therefore, gestured to Vitello to say he was fine. “A misunderstanding” … “heat of the moment,” Devers said. Regardless, he should have known late in a close game, Cox was a much better option to run the bases.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey defended Devers, the man he acquired from the Red Sox last June, by saying it was a case of being frustrated, a sentiment felt throughout the team during this disappointing season.
“Everybody has missteps,” said Posey, who hadn’t spoken with Devers as of Tuesday afternoon. “Even if you can point to leaders from everywhere, everybody has missteps. So I don’t think you can have an instant like that and say that he’s not a good teammate.”
In the end, there were no consequences. Vitello didn’t bench Devers Tuesday and instead batted him fifth; he went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the Giants’ 3-1 win over the A’s. Robbie Ray helped his trade value by yielding zero earned runs in eight innings. Jung Hoo Lee homered but committed an error that led to an unearned run.
Asked about Vitello’s hold on the clubhouse, Devers said, “I think he’s a great person, as a manager, as a person. Obviously, he’s getting a lot of experience, but we all respect him and will continue doing the things he wants and having him lead us.”
If Devers were willing to answer questions after Sunday’s game, perhaps he could have helped diffuse the issue. But interviews aren’t his thing, so Vitello and his teammates generally are forced to talk on his behalf. That kind of stuff isn’t generally appreciated in a clubhouse, where being a stand-up guy is admired. With Devers shunning the media, it was easier for the baseball industry to take shots at him and question team leadership.
Posey, who refrained from answering certain questions himself on Tuesday – he stayed clear of the Pride Night controversy – suggested Devers could do a better job being in the public eye.
“I think everybody has to be themselves,” Posey said. “I do think he understands there’s got to be some accountability. Sometimes it’s not fun, it’s not fun to stand in front of a microphone or camera. But that’s something that he’s going to need to work on.”
Posey was asked to opine on a number of subjects but took a pass on the controversy over the June 12 Pride Night. It seemed odd that he agreed to a press briefing but wouldn’t answer questions about his pitchers refusing to support the Giants’ annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
Perhaps the Giants would have been better served if another club official, say, Larry Baer, would have stepped in on the subject of Pride and allowed Posey to answer the baseball-related questions. Clearly, that was his preference.
Regarding both the issues of Pride and Devers, communication was lacking. Even baseball’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, called out the Giants’ communication issues in the wake of MLB warning three Giants pitchers against writing on their Pride caps — three pitchers inscribed Bible verses while another ditched the cap altogether.
“The Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear” when it came to explaining rules about not writing any messages on uniforms, according to Manfred, who noted in a letter to a Missouri senator who had accused MLB of discrimination that the pitchers didn’t know they could have simply worn their normal Giants cap rather than a Pride cap.
Posey wouldn’t touch that, either.
Sticking with the communication theme, Vitello said Tuesday, “I had no idea [for Pride Night] anyone was going to write on their hat.” Asked if the pitchers should have mentioned it to him in advance, he said, “I don’t see that as a disrespect to me, to be honest with you. Anything that goes on the field where guys aren’t trying to win the game for their team is where disrespect comes into play, but I’ve not been disrespected in this role at all.”
That goes for the incident involving Devers, too.
“I’m good to go into battle with him anytime,” Vitello said. “As a person, with the way he treats my family, in particular my dad, I’ll go to battle anytime with him off the field, too.”
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