It was June of 2025 when Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey broke the internet, as he pulled off a blockbuster deal for Boston Red Sox infielder Rafael Devers.

The trade was somewhat of a shock, but those around Major League Baseball understood that the relationship between Devers and Boston had soured.

Former Red Sox players like Jonathan Papelbon and David Ortiz expressed their disdain with Devers—the former stating that he was a “bad teammate” and the latter stating that the 29-year-old didn’t return his communcation attempts.

However, Matt Chapman doesn’t feel like Devers got his fair shake when it comes to the situation, telling NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic how good of a teammate Devers has been.

“I think the whole Boston thing just kind of got maybe a little bit misconstrued,” Chapman told Pavlovic in the latest edition of “Giants Talk.” “I think they kind of just mishandled the relationship. I don’t think it had anything to do with Rafi. I talked to guys that played with him. They all loved him, Bregman loved him, all his teammates loved him. I think they were sad to see him go, [and] we’re happy to get him.”

Chapman added he hasn’t had a bad encounter with Devers, and while he may not be a “rah rah” guy, the veteran infielder has been a wealth of knowledge for younger teammates.

“All my experiences with Rafi have been unreal,” Chapman told Pavlovic. “He’s a great teammate, great person, everybody loves him, [the] team loves him, and maybe he’s not a guy that’s going to stand up in a meeting and call a meeting or do something like that, but you know he’s been called on, he speaks, he talks to guys one-on-one, really helps guys in the cage. He’s a good teammate, he cares about his teammates and I think he’s the right guy for us.”

While Devers struggled with the Giants last season, as he slashed just .236/.347/.460 in 90 games with San Francisco, Chapman says he’s still a consistent presence in the team’s lineup.

“He’s an elite hitter. He’s been elite his whole career and I think something that’s probably overlooked with him is he’s a smart baseball player; he’s a smart hitter,” Chapman told Pavlovic. “He understands how guys pitch him, what he’s looking for. He doesn’t just go out there and just swing. He’s got a real good routine. He’s always working on getting a good feel and getting in a good position. So, I think he’s just a very advanced hitter, and I think that’s why he’s so consistent.”

Devers had his best month with the Giants in August of last season, when he put up a slash line of .291/.397/.592 while cranking out nine home runs in 28 games.

He finished the season with 35 home runs, 109 RBI and an OPS of .851.

“Every year, you can freaking pencil the dude in for 30 [home runs] and 100 [RBI], .870 OPS, whatever it is,” Chapman told Pavlovic. “He’s just been super consistent, and I think for him to be in our lineup is going to be huge for us. He just is a presence in the lineup, he’s somebody that people circle and pay attention to. I think he’s going to be a guy that can help carry us.”

The Giants will get a full season of the three-time All-Star in 2026, and Chapman says that’s an exciting thing to look forward to.

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