David Ortiz Says Red Sox Deserve 'Benefit of the Doubt' After Rafael Devers Trade

Fans questioned the decision by the Boston Red Sox to trade star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, but one legend came to the franchise's defense.

Hall of Famer David Ortiz told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal that he understands both sides of the situation and feels the Red Sox shouldn't be facing backlash.

"I’m not saying the Red Sox did everything right. But you have to give the club the benefit of the doubt," Ortiz said. "They’re not trying to make the organization look bad. They’re trying to make good moves that sometimes they don’t have the opportunity to explain."

Devers was once one of the faces of the franchise, but his relationship with the Red Sox gradually deteriorated over the past few months. He initially resisted a position change after Boston signed third baseman Alex Bregman before agreeing to primarily be the designated hitter. He later denied the team's request to move to first base after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury.

"I knew it wasn’t going to end well," Ortiz said of the tumult between the two sides. "There was too much going on, you know?"

Devers still has $250 million remaining on the $331 million contract extension that he signed with the Red Sox, and the Giants will be absorbing the entirety of his deal. He joins a long list of stars to unceremoniously depart Boston along with Mookie Betts, Nomar Garciaparra and others.

"It’s business," Ortiz said. "In business, things happen. When you’ve got a lot of money involved, sometimes you pay for what you expect, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. It’s nothing personal. It’s part of business."