Red Sox Reflect on Devers Departure: “Would We Have Done Things Differently? Absolutely.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – As the Red Sox opened their first full-squad workout of spring training, the echoes of last season’s seismic roster shifts still linger in the Florida air. Team president and CEO Sam Kennedy addressed the media Sunday, offering a rare moment of candid reflection on one of the most polarizing moves in recent Red Sox history – the departure of Rafael Devers.

It’s been a year since Boston stunned the baseball world by signing Alex Bregman, a move that sent shockwaves not only through the fanbase, but also inside the clubhouse. Devers, a homegrown star and fan favorite, was visibly upset by the signing, and the tension that followed ultimately led to his exit.

“Would we have done things differently leading into it? Absolutely,” Kennedy said.

“You question yourself: Where did we make mistakes? What could we have done better?”

That kind of introspection isn’t common in the front office, especially from a franchise like the Red Sox, where bold moves and big expectations are the norm. But Kennedy didn’t shy away from the reality that the situation with Devers – from the initial fallout to the eventual trade – was far from ideal.

Let’s rewind. When the Red Sox brought in Bregman, it created an immediate positional logjam.

Devers, a third baseman through and through, was asked to shift to designated hitter – a role he initially refused. After some back and forth, he accepted the DH spot, but then balked at the team’s next request: learning first base.

That was the breaking point. The standoff ended with Devers being traded to the San Francisco Giants, a move that closed the book on a once-promising tenure in Boston.

Kennedy didn’t go into detail about the internal conversations or the timeline of events, but his comments suggest the organization is still grappling with how everything unfolded. “At the end of the day, we were faced with a decision that was a hard one,” he said.

“And we made it. And are really proud of everybody who worked together on that.

Time will tell. We’ll see how the results are.”

It’s a classic case of organizational calculus – balancing long-term vision with the emotional weight of moving on from a franchise cornerstone. Devers wasn’t just a name on the lineup card. He was a symbol of the Red Sox’s player development success, a postseason hero, and a player many believed would be the face of the team for years to come.

Now, as the team turns the page and enters a new chapter with Bregman at third, the what-ifs still linger. Could things have been handled more delicately?

Could the front office have communicated better? Could Devers have been convinced to stay – or at least to adapt?

Those questions may never have clear answers. But Kennedy’s willingness to admit missteps, even in vague terms, is a sign that the organization is taking a hard look at how it manages its stars – and how it navigates the tricky waters of roster evolution.

For now, the focus shifts to the field. A new season is underway in Fort Myers.

The roster looks different. The clubhouse has a new energy.

But the shadow of last year’s drama still looms – and the Red Sox know it.