Red Sox fans’ true feelings toward Rafael Devers will be revealed during Fenway return

Despite the drama that led to it, the Rafael Devers trade was shocking. After completing a sweep of the New York Yankees on June 15, 2025, the Boston Red Sox sent a seismic wave through baseball by trading their longtime star to the San Francisco Giants.

Devers had been Bostons star player since the Mookie Betts trade. He was under contract for eight more seasons at almost $30 million average annual value. His last at-bat in a Red Sox uniform was a home run against the Yankees, seemingly his favorite thing to do. But his dispute with management was too much for the team to ignore, and it decided to move on.

On August 21, Devers will return to Fenway Park for the first time as a visiting player. A montage of his greatest Red Sox moments will certainly play on the big board, but fans' reactions to his return will be the biggest wild card (subscription required).

Around Red Sox Nation, there has been plenty of discourse on how Devers will be received by the raucous Fenway crowd. Fans on social media have shared whether they would cheer or boo the former star of their favorite team and the results are pretty mixed, which is understandable.

Devers didn't make himself look great in the final months of his Red Sox career. After the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, Devers didn't easily move off third base. He reacted more strongly when Boston asked him to take up first base in Triston Casas' absence. Devers didn't have a traditional leadership role on the team — he didn't often speak to reporters and wasn't a front-facing personality from the clubhouse — but a veteran and star should be willing to make changes for the betterment of their team.

Red Sox fans will publicly reveal their true feelings for Rafael Devers during his return to Fenway Park as a Giant

At the same time, Devers reacted so strongly because he was misled. The front office kept him in the dark about its infield plans and the request for a position change took him by surprise, especially since he signed a 10-year contract under the impression he'd be Boston's third baseman for at least a few more years.

He was the team's best player throughout the years when the front office stopped trying to be competitive. In one of his rare interviews in 2024, he made a plea for the Red Sox to sign good players and build around him. He was the team's home run leader three times and tied with Xander Bogaerts (talk about a gut-punch) once over his eight-plus years in Boston, an impressive feat considering he also played alongside J. D. Martinez and Mookie Betts. He was a perennial extra-base hits leader in the league. His No. 1 job was to slug, and he delivered on that front.

Devers was also the last remaining player from the 2018 Red Sox team that won it all, the winningest Red Sox team of all time. Boston hasn't come close to a championship since then and his contributions shouldn't be forgotten so easily.

Devers gave the Red Sox eight solid years of great baseball with relatively little conflict to go with it. Four ugly months shouldn't sour his reputation fully, but being a good teammate is part of the game. Everyone is entitled to their feelings about Devers and how his Red Sox career ended, but if I was going to be at Fenway for his return, he'd get a standing ovation from me. No matter how you slice it, Devers was the Red Sox's best player for years and he was on track to be one of the best hitters the organization ever had, and the Red Sox were the one that chose to end their relationship. Devers' years in Boston were too memorable and too much fun to be forgotten or discredited because of a conflict with the front office that was petty on both sides.

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