“Rafael Devers is a grown man” - Giants icon Will Clark’s blunt assessment of DH gets slammed by MLB insider

San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers has been in the news since the start of the season when he refused to switch positions in the infield for his former team, the Boston Red Sox, to accommodate Alex Bregman.

The All-Star infielder was part of a shocking trade last month that saw him move to San Francisco. However, Devers continues to be surrounded by controversy.

This week, Giants icon Will Clark revealed that Devers refused to play first base for San Francisco with the Red Sox coming to town to face the NL West team.

"Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he did not come out early, at all. Period, not all. In fact, he didn't even hit on the field," Clark said. "Everybody's like, 'Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Will. I'm so sorry.'"

"I know what the (expletive) happened," Clark said. "I said, he didn't want to go out and be at first base and be 20 feet in front of their freaking dugout with what went on in Boston, and now he's working with me at first base. He didn't want to have to go through all that (expletive) through the press in the media. So, I completely understand."

While the former third baseman understood why Devers refused to play first base, MLB analyst Trevor Plouffe criticized the way Clark handled the situation. He said on the "Baseball Today" podcast:

"Don't think Devers cares about that at all and it's an interesting dynamic. Obviously, you know, a baseball player is going to respect what Clark has done in the game. You know, a great player, no doubt about it, but you don't want to be talked to like that.

"Rafael Devers is a grown man who can make his own decisions. I guarantee you the next time that they come into contact Devers is not gonna go work with him."

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Rafael Devers yet to play defense for Giants after agreeing first base role

Rafael Devers, who declined to play first base for the Red Sox after Triston Casas' season-ending injury in June, agreed to play the position after being traded to the Giants last month.

However, the All-Star slugger has exclusively played as a designated hitter for the Giants in 22 games since his shocking trade.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash