Alex Cora Sends Strong Message About Rafael Devers Trade After Red Sox-Giants Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
On Friday night, less than a week after the Boston Red Sox shocked the baseball world by trading star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, the two teams met to kick off a three-game weekend series.
The Red Sox came away with a 7–5 win after rallying back from an early 3–0 deficit. In Devers’ first game against his former team, Boston’s pitching held him in check, going 0-for-5 at the plate. His lone strikeout came in the bottom of the ninth, when Aroldis Chapman blew a 102 mph fastball by him to get the second out of the ninth.
After the win, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked if he felt the need to “clear the air” regarding the blockbuster trade—a move that’s sparked plenty of speculation and questions. Cora didn’t hold back in his response.
“Clear the air about what?” Cora said. “It’s baseball. It’s a business. That’s how it works. It’s not the first guy that’s gotten traded. It’s not the last guy. People have their opinions about the whole thing.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked about the Rafael Devers trade 👀
(via @JesseRogersESPN) pic.twitter.com/6W1teZ1AhA
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 21, 2025
Cora and Devers essentially rose to prominence together in Boston. Devers made his debut with the Red Sox in 2017, while Cora was hired just a few months later in October and took over as manager ahead of the 2018 season—leading the team to a World Series title in his first year at the helm. It remains the Red Sox’s most recent pennant.
However, this past offseason was filled with turmoil, starting in spring training and carrying into the regular season. Tensions began after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a three-year deal and asked Devers to shift to designated hitter—something that reportedly upset him, though he accepted the role.
Matters worsened when the team later asked him to try first base following a season-ending injury to Triston Casas. At that point, Devers pushed back, and the relationship between player and front office continued to sour, ultimately leading to his trade to the Giants last Sunday.
Related: David Ortiz Reacts to Red Sox Trading Rafael Devers to Giants
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.