Rafael Devers Calls Out Red Sox For ‘Disappointing’ Offseason After Third Last Place Finish in Four Years

The Boston Red Sox finished as the worst team in the MLB in 2023. That’s the third time they’ve done that in the past four seasons. This offseason, chairman Tom Werner responded, saying that the club would operate in “full throttle.” Since that comment, the Red Sox have stayed under the radar this offseason – and even cut their payroll by approximately $10 million since Opening Day last year.

Their biggest move so far this offseason has been the appointment of former Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow to replace Chaim Bloom as their new Chief Baseball Officer.

Through an interview with an interpreter on Tuesday, Red Sox Dominican third baseman Rafael Devers shared his thoughts on their past few seasons.

“Everybody knows what we need. You know what we need and they know what we need. It’s just some things I can’t say. I’m not allowed,” Devers said. “They need to make an adjustment to help us players be in a better position to win. 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 are the weaknesses and what we need right now.”

Devers isn’t the only player on the team to have expressed his frustration with management in the front office. Closer Kenly Jansen has been in the postseason every season of his career prior to missing the postseason with the Red Sox last year.

“I definitely feel frustrated. I came here for two years where year one we were going to compete but by year two they were really going to go after it,” Jansen said. “I get it, there have been a lot of changes in this organization. They have a different vision now. I get it. It’s part of business … I would rather not [ask about the reason for the change in organizational direction], to be honest with you. Now I’m in camp and just try and focus to have a great season. Whatever happens, happens at this point.”

Since their World Series win in 2018, the Red Sox have slowly shaved off their payroll from $240 million in 2018 to a projected $195 million in 2024.

Red Sox fans, players, and even coaching staff can all agree that the front office is not prioritizing their team’s performance. Their best possible team is not being put on the field. With the Red Sox’s  history in the MLB, there’s no excuse for them to be in the middle of the pack for payroll. These questionable decisions from ownership are finally being publicly questioned by fans, coaches and players.