Jonathan Papelbon said the Red Sox ‘gotta listen’ to Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers said the front office needs to make adjustments. Jonathan Papelbon agrees.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers voiced disappointment with how the front office has handled the offseason on Tuesday.
Though he wouldn’t say specifically what pieces the Red Sox need to add, Devers did acknowledge that the roster needs some upgrades.
“They need to make an adjustment to help us players be in a better position to win,” Devers told reporters via a translator. “Everybody in this organization wants to win. We, as players, want to win. I think they need to make adjustments to help us win. I’m not saying the team is not OK right now but they need to be conscious of what the weaknesses are and what we need right now.”
Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon weighed in on Devers’s comments during an appearance on Foul Territory.
“Everybody knows what they’re lacking,” Papelbon said. “And at the end of the day, I feel like there’s no secrets anymore here with this organization. (Expletive), you got guys like Pedroia FaceTimeing with Sam Kennedy and asking, ‘What the hell is going on?’”
“So now you got Devers saying something,” Papelbon added. “So I feel like sometimes, man, when you have a front office that is trying to turn it around you sometimes gotta listen to the guy that is there that you sign for a long time and the guy that was there for 18 years. I really think that sometimes you need a kick in the ass, just to say, ‘Hey, let’s get this thing going.’”
Last July, Devers told Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe that the Red Sox needed pitching. He said during that interview, which took place right before the trade deadline, that he would like to see the front office “reward” players’ hard work by bringing in some help. The Red Sox chose to stand pat, ended up finishing last in the AL East, and eventually fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.
This offseason, under new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, the Red Sox have added one-time All-Star pitcher Lucas Giolito, two-time Gold Glove outfielder Tyler O’Neill, and infielder Vaughn Grissom, whom manager Alex Cora said may have the chance to “run with” the starting spot at second base.
But the Red Sox have lost talent too, shipping Alex Verdugo and Chris Sale out via trade and letting Justin Turner walk in free agency.
Papelbon said he has spoken with the Red Sox ownership group recently and said he suspects a bigger move may be in the works.
“We had some good conversations,” Papelbon said. “I think their mindset right now, which I don’t necessarily agree with, is making the perfect decision. We all know when you make these decisions in the offseason and you try to build a team you can’t worry about that.
“You can’t worry about making the perfect damn decision,” Papelbon added. “You’re going to make mistakes. In my opinion you’ve got to go after guys that you know are going to step right into your clubhouse and make a difference. They understood that, but I had a sneaky suspicion after talking with them that there’s some kind of ace that they’re holding. They’re waiting to make a big move.”
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