Red Sox star Rafael Devers calls out front office amid quiet offseason
It's not just Boston Red Sox fans who want their team to do more this offseason.
Red Sox All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers made some pointed comments while speaking with Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz and other reporters Tuesday at spring training, saying he'd like to see more from new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
"Everybody in this organization wants to win, but [Red Sox leadership] need to make an adjustment to help us players be in a better position to win," Devers said via interpreter Carlos Villoria. “Everybody knows what we need, you know what we need, and they know what we need. There’s just some things I can’t say out loud, but everybody that knows our organization and knows the game knows what we need.”
The latter appeared to be a reference to the team's starting pitching, as its rotation is currently on track to be something like Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck, none of whom had an ERA below 4 last season. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and World Series standout Jordan Montgomery are both still free agents.
The Red Sox were among the more disappointing teams in baseball last year, finishing 78-84 and last in the AL East. It was an exact repeat of their 2022, in which they also went 78-84 and finished in the basement.
That led to the firing of former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and the hiring of Breslow, who apparently didn't approach this offseason with an urgent desire to improve his active roster. Here's a quick run-down of what the team has done since the World Series ended:
Trade outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees for a collection of young arms.
Acquire outfielder Tyler O'Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Trade former ace Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves for Vaughn Grissom.
Sign starting pitcher Giolito to a two-year, $35 million contract.
Sign injured closer Liam Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million contract.
There were more minor moves, but none of the above would indicate a team moving full-steam ahead for 2024. At best, the Red Sox are attempting to tread water, rather than fall into the deeper reaches of a rebuild.
That's probably not the wrong direction to take, given how competitive the AL East appears to be for 2024, as long as you have a long-term plan in mind. Still, Devers' comments are a reminder that he's still there (on a $331 million contract) and that rebuilds are rarely popular with players.
“My point of view is they’re thinking more in the future,” Devers said. “Last year, when we had an opportunity to do something and to be in the race, nothing happened. I thought back then that of course they were thinking in the future. When those opportunities come along, we need to be more aggressive and try to embrace those opportunities."
