Rafael Devers happiest he's been 'in a long time,' ducks questions about Red Sox past

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SAN FRANCISCO — At a pre-game media availability at Oracle Park Friday afternoon, a Rafael Devers press conference more closely resembled congressional testimony from Mark McGwire in 2005.
Devers spoke with the media for roughly 15 minutes before facing the team that shockingly unloaded him in shocking five-player deal last Sunday and neatly avoided saying much about his nine-year stay in Boston.
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Any time a question included any reference to the Red Sox, Devers took a page out of McGuire's performance in Washington D.C. two decades ago and spoke a variation on the PED-linked slugger's infamous testimony. Like McGwire, Devers wasn't 'here to talk about the past.'
McGwire persistently used that line when questioned by Congress about his use of steroids or others PEDs.
Devers acknowledged that while the last week has been hectic, but said he was quickly becoming comfortable with his new team.
'It's been a long time (since I was this happy professionally),' he said. 'I don't know how to explain it, but the feelings that I have here...Yes, I've been happy. I feel very relaxed.'
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The one bit of insight he offered on the topic of the Red Sox came when he was asked if, upon reflection, he would do anything differently during his Red Sox career.
'No, nothing,' said Devers. 'I feel like I put up good numbers over there. I always gave my 100 percent.'
Devers said he spent Thursday night getting together with some former Red Sox teammates. The Red Sox arrived Wednesday night to San Francisco and had an off-day Thursday while the Giants had an afternoon context with Cleveland. Devers didn't specify which teammates he saw.
'My friends on the other team (Red Sox),' said Devers. 'It was kind of strange to see them so soon (after the trade).'
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Regardless of the topic, anytime he pressed on his time with the Sox — Did he want to leave? How would he describe his relationship with manager Alex Cora? Could the Red Sox have done anything to repair the fractured relationship? - Devers quickly retreated to his stock reply.
'That's in the past. I really don't want to talk about it. I want to concentrate on what's in the future for me,' said Devers.
Only occasionally did Devers not use his stock reply — when asked how he would to Red Sox fans his refusal to play first base in Boston but immediately expressed a willingness to do so for the Giants.
'I would say that I had some good numbers over in Boston,' said Devers, 'and I do think that I have earned some respect. If they would have asked me at the beginning of spring training, I would have played (first base).'
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He also expressed no regrets about how he handled things in the last four or five months in Boston.
At one point, Devers seemed to strike a decidedly neutral tone toward former manager Alex Cora, noting, 'I don't have anything good or bad to say about Alex.' But he later said he expected to greet him on the field this weekend.
Devers began working out at first on Tuesday, but offered no specific timetable for his debut at the position.
'Whenever I feel comfortable,' he said.
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Read the original article on MassLive.