Mike Yastrzemski wasn’t teammates with Rafael Devers on the San Francisco Giants very long, but had nothing but high praise for him.

“He was the best, man,” Yastrzemski, who was traded to the Kansas City Royals at this year’s deadline, said during an appearance on “Foul Territory.” “Awesome teammate, willing to do whatever he had to. I think he just got thrown into a weird circumstance (with the Red Sox). And I think sometimes as players, you have to stick up for yourself. And I think that’s what he tried to do.

“He works his tail off, he tries to help everybody,” he later added. “He’s really smart, and he cares about winning so much. So I don’t understand where all the heat came from.”

Yastrzemski, the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, is referring to Devers’ tumultuous 2025 season in Boston. First, he said he didn’t want to move off third base — the position he played his entire career — to become the designated hitter. It happened after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, and after a slow start at the plate, Devers began to find a groove.

But then Triston Casas went down with a season-ending knee injury and the Red Sox approached Devers about the possibility of playing first base. The conversation didn’t sit right with the 28-year-old, who said he felt the team didn’t keep its word.

The Red Sox traded Devers to the Giants in June and he has appeared at first base for his new team. He told reporters he would play wherever San Francisco needed him to and that he preferred being on the field.

The Giants have lost their last three games and are 17-28 since the trade. They’re 4½ games out of the third National League Wild Card spot going into Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres. Making the postseason is still within reach, but the Giants need to turn things around quickly before falling deeper into the standings

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.