Red Sox News: Rafael Devers denies any cheating occurred during 2018

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers spoke this week about the accusations surrounding the 2018 team and denied any wrongdoing by the club.

We’re just days away from spring training kicking off around the league and the Red Sox are still smack dab in the middle of the conversation. Between the inevitable trade involving Mookie Betts, parting ways with their manager, and the current investigation into an alleged cheating scandal, Boston has stayed relevant all winter. Granted, not for the reasons, we’d all like but there’s nothing we can do about that.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has yet to reveal the results of his investigation into the possible replay room usage of the 2018 Red Sox. While that looms over the heads of Chaim Bloom and the ownership group it’s putting some moves on hold, such as naming a new manager. For the most part, the Red Sox have been quiet about the investigation except for J.D. Martinez and now Rafael Devers.

Both have come out and denied any wrongdoing by the squad during their World Series campaign. The team is being accused of improperly using their replay room in order to decode opposing teams’ signs.

A few weeks ago it was reported by Dan Roche of WBZ-TV and reiterated by Lou Merloni on his WEEI radio show OMF, that little is being found in the way of cheating by the team. That mixed with players being so vehement in their belief that nothing happened feels like a good sign for Boston.

While getting prepared for spring training Devers spoke with Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe and he made his thoughts on the subject pretty clear.

"“No, no, I don’t think so,” he says emphatically through an interpreter. “We didn’t cheat. We have a lot of talent. We don’t need to cheat, and we became champs without cheating.”"

Hearing the confidence from Raffy that nothing happened in 2018 that should tarnish what that team did should be a sigh of relief for Red Sox Nation. Obviously denying any malfeasance should be commonplace from anyone accused but as we saw with the Astros, that’s not always the case. Some will say the two sluggers are denying so strongly as to try and divert any attention from the possible sign stealing.

I see the responses from Martinez and Devers as bold proclamations that just because the team saw an increase in offense during the championship run, it wasn’t due to any shady behavior. It was the 2018 season that gave us the first glimpses of what Raffy is capable of and then he kicked the door down in 2019.