Morning sports update
“We went from one of the most popular teams in the past 25 years to probably one of the most hated teams in all baseball, and I don’t want to see that.”
Pedro Martinez hugs Rafael Devers during the spring training in 2024. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Pedro Martinez sounded on the Rafael Devershandel: The reaction to Red Sox’s surprising decision to trade Rafael Devers continues to send shock waves around baseball, even among legends in Boston.
Pedro Martinez, now an MLB analyst, spoke on Tuesday about the Red SOX-Giant-deal in several segments. Initially he acknowledged that he was caught by the guard, but he was also quickly to defend Devers of critics.
“I was shocked, just like everyone else,” said Martinez. “I was shocked, because if you try to sell me – manure Rafael Devers – that Raffy is a bad teammate, or he is not a team player, you are lying. You are going to tell me that he is a bad influence in the clubhouse? He is not. Because he is playing every day? Yes, that’s probably why he was crazy.”
The root of the problem Came on several requests from the Red Sox to switch the position of Devers in the midst of the signing of Alex Bregman and the injury of first Honkman Triston Casas in the season.
“The thing was treated incorrectly from the start,” Martinez explained about the fallout between Devers and the team, and noted that he thinks it would be better to experience players in the discussion.
“This should have been treated by baseball people, no front office people, who don’t leak it to the media, have no back and forth between the media, and Alex [Cora]and Sam Kennedy, and [Craig] Breslow. “
Referring to the recent press conference of the team after the trade, which was carried out by Kennedy (the president of the team) and Breslow (the Chief Baseball Officer), the ex-Red Sox Ace repeated that former Boston players could have communicated with Devers.
“We are always there. We are always available. [Dustin] Pedroia is available, [Jason Varitek] Works there with the team, someone he can really trust. The thing is that I don’t think they were asked individually to go to Devers to do those things, “Martinez added,” and the press conference they recently helped not at all because you hear the front office – Sam Kennedy, Breslow and all those guys – about the situation. They spoke about championships and things like that, but it’s not just the championships. It is not what we have done, it understands people in the uniform. That is what nobody probably understands about Devers. How did he feel when you told him you dump your glove? Was he offended? He felt funny that he is not being treated as someone who could be worth a position in the Infield. I think there was a lot of miscommunication, but it should have been dealt with by baseball people. “
Admittedly, Breslow himself is a former Major League player. But Martinez seemed to point out a lack of empathy when he referred to ‘man in the uniform’.
“People who have been there, who understand what it is like to wear it uniform and at the same time be a human. I don’t think they did the best to do that.”
In a second interview (this time with “Talk baseball“), Martinez admitted that he fears that the branches of the abuse of the team of his former star.
“Everyone looks around to see what’s going on with Boston, and we were going to be probably the most that I would prefer to say in the last 20 years to probably one of the teams that everyone is going to look at in the future and says:” If they treat Devers [or] Chris Sale that way, if they did not respect Jon Lester that way, free agents will look at Boston in a different way, “he said.
‘That’s what I’m worried [about]that the culture we have left – Pedroia, [Ortiz]Manny [Ramirez]” [Varitek]All those great players who went through the organization will disappear, “Martinez noted,” and people go to Boston as a bad organization. An organization that does not respect the players. And I would like to see that, because we have gone from one of the most popular teams in the past 25 years to probably one of the most hated teams in all baseball, and I don’t want to see that. “
The winner of World Series 2004 also did not shy away from his friend, a former teammate, David Ortiz.
Asked for Ortiz’s comments Regarding Devers – that “he almost never returned my messages” – Martinez seemed to choose the side of Devers again.
“Big Papi also made a mistake in spring training by talking about a few things he needed to tell Devers in front of the cameras,” said Martinez. “And just as I said before, that should have been treated in his own house. Big Papi should have gone out with Devers to talk about those things, not really openly in the field, because the cameras can pick up everything we say.”
“That was the first mistake of Big Papi. The other is that I don’t like to hear those comments after things happen that way,” Martinez continued. “I would like Big Papi to come by, grabs, go to a restaurant, go to his house, throw a barbecue and talk to Devers in his house.”
Martinez noted that private communication would have been his approach to communicate with the 28-year-old Slugger, “but I was never asked.”
When Breslow’s postal trade was raised that he thinks the team is looking back on the trade “and we won more competitions than we would otherwise have”-Martinez lied when asked if he agreed.
“No, I don’t do that,” he replied. “In baseball there is always one thing that will keep you humble. If you don’t show me the figures that say that the team will get better without Devers and the new boys [the Red Sox] Getting on the market, then I have no reason to believe that. “
The triple Cy Young Award winner was sympathetic to Breslow with regard to his inexperience. He noted that Breslow has intelligence and will improve, but “he should never have answered that question.”
Trivia: When Pedro Martinez left the Red Sox for the Mets in Free Agency after the 2004 season, Boston received a compensatory pick. Who did they select with that choice?
(Answer below).
Hint: also a pitcher, he became a dual all-star and threw a no-hitter in Fenway Park in his second career Major League start.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox lost 8-0 on Tuesday with the Mariners. The two teams play again in Seattle tonight at 4.10 pm.
Also on Tuesday, Brad Marchand won the Stanley Cup for the second time in his career and the Florida Panthers helped against the Oilers after the 5-1 victory in the clinching game 6.
More from Boston.com:
Marchand’s moment: The former Bruins celebrated the winning of the Stanley Cup and scored six goals in six games.
Former New England -star: Former revolution wing Tajon Buchanan scored a few goals in the 6-0 Gold Cup victory of Canada on Honduras.
On this day: In 1975 Fred Lynn poured three home runs and a triplicate 15-1 Red Sox routes of the Tigers.
Daily highlight: Sam Reinhart opened the score in the decisive match of the Stanley Cup Finals with a solo defense-in-law offense.
Trivia Answer: Clay Buchholz
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