Red Sox $38.5 Million Star Sends Powerful Rafael Devers Message Amid Turmoil

So much has been made of the drama surrounding Rafael Devers off the field that it almost flew under the radar how incredible he was on it this weekend.

Devers caused a firestorm on Thursday by blasting chief baseball officer Craig Breslow for asking him to move to third base. The fallout was so swift that principal owner John Henry and CEO Sam Kennedy got on a plane to Kansas City to meet with him before the team's game on Friday.

Devers then proceeded to tune out all the noise and torch the Kansas City Royals all weekend. He went 7-for-12 with two walks in the series and had a go-ahead RBI in all three games, including a game-winning two-run home run on Sunday that traveled 440 feet.

Devers has been seen as a possibly divisive figure in the Boston clubhouse since all the drama began. But at least publicly, one teammate had glowing praise for him in the wake of the series win.

On Sunday afternoon, Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito, who allowed just one unearned run in seven innings and picked up the win, discussed Devers' impact on the game as he continues to be the team's full-time designated hitter.

“That’s Raffy Devers,” Giolito said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “I’m glad he’s on my team and I don’t have to pitch to him anymore. He’s an incredible hitter. We’re very lucky to have him.”

Giolito also touched on the Red Sox's ability to drown out the outside noise and deliver a series win over a good Royals team on the road when they needed one.

“I think it shows what we’re made of, what we’re capable of,” said Giolito. “(The media) has been saying it, the expectations are high for this club. Lot of talent here. For us to silence out all that outside noise, put in the work and have a good series, it’s a good one.”

Cotillo reported Sunday that there are players "in both camps" when it comes to the issue of Devers moving to first base. Giolito's statement doesn't necessarily mean he's in favor of leaving Devers at DH, but it shows that as long as the slugger is hitting, no one will begrudge his viewpoints too harshly.