Rafael Devers breaks silence on playing 1B with Giants vs. Red Sox

Rafael Devers has been in the headlines since his shocking trade to the San Francisco Giants by the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. The former Red Sox star was in the news at the start of the season when he initially refused to move out of third base.

Devers, despite being reluctant to vacate his designated role as a third baseman, made way for incoming third baseman Alex Bregman. Just when Devers was making an impact in his role as a designated hitter, the team lost Triston Casas to a season-ending injury in May.

Casas' injury led to the Red Sox management asking Devers to change positions for a second time this year. However, the All-Star slugger declined to move to first, leading to his trade to the Giants.

Following his move, Devers broke silence on playing first base for the Giants after refusing to play the same position in Boston.

"In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove — that I wasn’t going to play any other position but DH. So right now I just feel like it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position. “I would say that I put some good numbers up in Boston and I think that I do feel that I have earned some respect. If they would have asked me at the beginning of spring training, yes, I would have played.”

Rafael Devers looks past his trade ahead of Red Sox showdown

It's not been a week since Rafael Devers was traded by Boston and the All-Star slugger is already gearing up to face his former team as the Giants host the Red Sox at Oracle Park on Friday.

However, Devers is not holding any grudge against his former team. Ahead of Friday's series opener, Devers said:

“That's in the past. Those are not decisions that I control, and that's why I'm leaving that in the past right now."

Although he is willing to play first base for the Giants, he admitted he will need some time to get accustomed to his new infield role.

“I’m comfortable [in workouts] and like I said in the past, it’s not a position that you're going to learn how to play overnight,” said Devers. “I just have to continue and practice there.”

Rafael Devers continued as a designated hitter for the Giants in the series opener against his former team on Friday.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash