On Sunday afternoon, San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers was pinch-run for. He didn’t like it, though, and pushed back before eventually relenting, causing plenty of online pushback. Some of that pushback seemingly even came from his Boston Red Sox manager, Alex Cora.
That isn’t to say that Cora directly called out Devers. However, it’s hard to imagine his cryptic post on Twitter/X wasn’t related. There, he’d write, “But, but…” along with a zipped mouth emoji.
Cora, who is no longer the Red Sox manager, was in Boston from 2018 until earlier in the 2026 season. That, incidentally, makes him the main manager that Devers has had in his career, with the two winning a World Series together.
However, in 2025, things became awkward for the Red Sox and Devers. Communication was botched between the front office and Devers about their pursuit of Alex Bregman, who Cora is close to. When Bregman came in, the decision was to move Devers to DH. Later, an injury to Triston Casas led to the Red Sox asking Devers to play first base. He refused.
It wouldn’t be long before Devers was publicly branded a clubhouse issue and traded away to the Giants. At the time, it was a highly unpopular trade, but decisions like his to try and avoid coming out for a pinch runner do have the ability to change how some fans feel.
Or, Cora wasn’t posting about Devers at all, and this is just a coincidence. However, given the circumstances, that does seem unlikely.
Things Have Become Awkward With the San Francisco Giants for Rafael Devers
GettySan Francisco Giants DH Rafael Devers
At this point, Rafael Devers has only played in 166 games over two seasons with the Giants. However, it’s quickly become an awkward situation once again for the slugger.
The main issue has come down to Devers’ on-field struggles. This season, he’s hitting just .241 with a .302 OBP, a .437 slugging percentage, and a .740 OPS. He’s done that with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. Those are numbers well below the type of slugging that the Giants expected when they took on his contract, which pays him $28.5 million annually through 2033.
There have been very public reports this season that the Giants are looking to trade Devers, just over a year after acquiring him. However, with his contract, declining stats, and with Baseball Savant ranking him in the 23rd-percentile for Batting Run Value, it’s hard to imagine that the Giants will have many suitors.
The Boston Red Sox Have Struggled to Replace Rafael Devers
GettyRafael Devers with the Boston Red Sox
When the Red Sox decided to move on from Rafael Devers, it was with the belief that Alex Bregman would be the team’s long-term third baseman. Then, he opted out of his contract and while he was open to re-signing with Boston, the Red Sox ultimately wouldn’t match an offer from the Chicago Cubs.
Looking to find a younger option at third base, the Red Sox would trade for Caleb Durbin. As a part of that trade, they sent Kyle Harrison, a key piece of the return the Red Sox got for Devers, to the Milwaukee Brewers.
It’s been a rough season for Durbin, though. Even playing better as of late, Durbin entered play on Sunday hitting just .208 with a .264 OBP, a .352 slugging percentage, and a .616 OPS. He has 5 home runs and 29 RBIs. However, his defense has been better at third base than what Devers offered in the past.
In total, all three players the Red Sox got in return for Devers are no longer with the team. Meanwhile, the Giants want to trade him. It seems like a situation where both sides have buyer’s remorse.
Former Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Makes Cryptic Post Amid Rafael Devers Criticism