Boston Red Sox ownership's lack of accountability for the state of the team has weighed on fans in recent years, and it continued over President's Day weekend. The team lost Alex Bregman and should've-been-franchise-staple Rafael Devers in just over six months, and it could've used both of them during its September playoff chase and in the future.
Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner was present in Fort Myers over the weekend, and when asked about the Devers trade, he responded with a severe oversimplification of the chain of events that led to the eventual deal. Of course, the part where Red Sox management misled Devers about his standing as the third baseman for the season was conveniently left out.
“I don’t like to speak ill of any player. I’d like to say that he’s a wonderful person... but, of course, when we had an injury at first base [to Triston Casas] his unwillingness to play that position was extremely discouraging... just pick up a glove," Werner said (via Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, subscription required).
Devers was asked to respond to Werner's comments on February 17. Unlike the Red Sox, he chose to take the high road.
Rafael Devers makes Tom Werner, Red Sox look foolish with his response to comments about the trade
“That’s in the past. I don’t want to talk about it. It’s over. I don’t have any opinions on what he said. So, let’s concentrate here and just leave the past in the past,” he said through an interpreter (via Justice delos Santos of Mercury News).
The Red Sox's attempts to paint Devers as a bad teammate or an argumentative guy continue to fail while they make themselves look worse. Devers is not free of blame for the way his tenure in Boston ended, and he could've picked up a glove to help his teammates win and stepped up as one of the veterans in the room. But if your bosses deceived you about your job for the upcoming year, how long would you keep doing what they ask without protest?
Werner and the Red Sox should address all Devers comments this way from now on — telling anything close to their version of the truth does them no favors. Boston's refusal to own up to its end of the mistakes that led to the Devers trade is exhausting. It's a bad look for a team that still needs to sign free agents to address some of its needs, and elite players don't want to suit up for a team that treats its franchise players as Devers was treated.