As spring training kicks off, Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox is openly expressing his desire for the team’s front office to make significant moves to enhance the roster ahead of the upcoming season.
Devers voiced his opinion on Tuesday, indicating his belief that the franchise could have made greater efforts to strengthen the team during the offseason.
“They need to make an adjustment to help us players to be in a better position to win,” he said through a translator. “Everybody in this organization wants to win. We, as (players), want to win. I think they need to make an adjustment to help us win.
“I’m not saying that the team is not OK right now, but they need to be conscious of what are the (weaknesses) and what we need.”
Last season, Rafael Devers delivered a solid performance, boasting a batting average of .271 along with 33 home runs and 100 RBIs across 153 games. Despite his individual achievements, the Boston Red Sox found themselves at the bottom of the highly competitive AL East standings, concluding the season with a disappointing 78-84 record. In January 2023, Devers, now 27 years old, inked a lucrative 10-year contract with the Red Sox, valued at $313.5 million.
During the offseason, the Red Sox made relatively modest moves in terms of roster enhancement. They secured the services of right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito through a two-year contract worth $38.5 million. Additionally, they bolstered their squad by acquiring outfielder Tyler O’Neill and infielder Vaughn Grissom through trades. However, these gains were offset by notable departures, including outfielder Alex Verdugo, who was traded to the New York Yankees, and left-handed pitcher Chris Sale, who was part of a deal with the Atlanta Braves that brought in Grissom.
Despite the Red Sox’s respectable offensive performance last season, ranking sixth in the majors with a .258 team batting average and ninth in OPS with .748, their pitching struggled. The team’s collective ERA stood at 4.52, placing them 21st among all MLB teams.
“Everybody knows what we need,” Devers said. “You know what we need, and they know what we need. It’s just there’s some things that I can’t say out loud. But everybody that knows the organization and knows the game knows what we need.”