Who could have seen this coming? The Alex Bregman deal caught Rafael Devers by surprise. The newly-rechristened DH extraordinaire to his glove and went home like a petulant child. Yes, he may not have been consulted by the Boston Red Sox organization about the prospects of them signing the former Houston Astros star third basemen, but the Red Sox have been proven so right in all this.

The two early-season storylines that have penetrated all of baseball is the Atlanta Braves’ atrocious start and that Devers can no longer hit at all. Atlanta started out the season at 0-7 and Devers started the season out 0-21 at the plate. Clearly, his feelings were hurt, but is he not supposed to be the face of the franchise as the last serious holdover from the 2018 World Series team. He needs to be better.

Fortunately, there is hope, well, sort of. Former MLB superstar Albert Pujols did a marvelous job unpacking what he would have done in Alex Cora’s situation as the Red Sox’s manager surrounding the Devers situation. To Pujols, it is all about clear, consistent and honest communication. Remember, when we assume something, we make and ass out of you and me. You need to watch this Pujols clip.

What Pujols is saying about Devers failing to understand what he means to the Red Sox is all the more reason why the former St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels star first baseman could manage.

“I think he needs to understand that it’s not about the player, it’s about the organization.”

Pujols was otherworldly at the plate in his prime, but his emotional intelligence is off the charts, too!

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Albert Pujols shows us why he is a future St. Louis Cardinals manager

It has been a long time since the St. Louis Cardinals were the St. Louis Cardinals. I remember growing up and hated seeing them on the schedule as an Atlanta Braves fan. You knew that under Tony La Russa’s direction that this team was going to play a full nine innings and grind it out all the way the game was decided. Pujols grew up playing in that mindset before leaving for La La Land over in L.A. …

In the years since La Russa last managed the Cardinals, it has been a lot of Mike Matheny, Mike Shildt and Oli Marmol only doing bits and pieces of what made him special. Matheny always felt like a close proximity, the La Russa you have at home, if you will. Shildt briefly had a good pulse of the situation before that turned itself onto its head. Honestly, it feels like Marmol is making it up as he goes along.

What I am getting at is Pujols seems to possess the confidence to be a great manager in this league. He can relate to any star player because he is one of them. Pujols grew up in the Dominican Republic and in the United States, so he can relate to everyone in the clubhouse. What sets him apart is that he is an incredibly talented alpha male, yet he was always willing to put the team ahead of himself.

Devers never has and never will be as good as Pujols, so he would be wise to listen to this gospel.