Rafael Devers Says He's 'Matured' Since Red Sox Trade, Talks Return to Fenway Park with Giants

Rafael Devers feels he has matured since being traded last June to the San Francisco Giants from the Boston Red Sox.

"I feel really good. I think it's been a year. I think I have matured during that year," Devers said via an interpreter when asked Friday how he had changed since the trade (h/t WEEI's Rob Bradford).

"I think that I have learned as an athlete there are things that are going to happen, and what you have to do is just move forward and learn from that."

Devers' comments came shortly before he stepped up for his first Fenway at-bat since being traded to San Francisco.

He was met by a mix of cheers and boos before he struck out looking on his fourth pitch of the game.

"I don't want to think about the past, I don't want to talk about the past," Devers said via interpreter about the emotions surrounding his return.

"But at the same time, we're all men, we're all grown-ups. We have to understand this is the business of baseball. But at the same time, you make mistakes, and you have to move on and mature."

Devers won the 2018 World Series with the Red Sox and signed an 11-year extension with the club in 2023 before his relationship with the club began to dissolve last season.

The Red Sox signed third baseman Alex Bregman ahead of the 2025 campaign, sparking disagreement when the club moved Devers to designated hitter. Devers later refused to move again when injuries opened up a spot at first base.

Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy later said the club had reached an "inflection point" in its relationship with Devers before trading him to the Giants.

When asked Friday if he would change anything about how his tenure in Boston ended, Devers answered, "No."

Devers has slashed .244/.320/.470 with 25 home runs in his first full season with the Giants, which are a long shot to make the postseason after a 52-75 start to the season.

When asked Friday if he ever considered the possibility of coming back to Boston, Devers' interpreter said he sees that as a decision out of his control and is focused on his current tenure with San Francisco.