I don’t think any team would or should promise 3B for the duration of his contract.
But to act like it’s not totally underhanded for Boston to say that “Oh, that doesn’t count bc Bloom was Head of Baseball Operations at the time” is super disingenuous too. SUPER.
A. = Bloom was not the top baseball decision maker, he reported to the President and CEO, Sam Kennedy, who is still there, as President and CEO.
B – Kennedy reports to John Henry and Thomas Werner, the Owner and Chairmen respectively, who are both still there.
C. – Alex Cora fills out the lineup card, and was obviously part of the loop with the agreement to keep him at 3B. He HAD to be. Alex Cora is still there.
D. – Chaim Bloom was only there for less than 9-months under this new contract. They had a year and half to have the “What Chaim Bloom promised you is no longer valid” conversation if that was indeed the reality.
E. – Chaim Bloom never promised Devers he would be the 3B of the Chaim Bloom Red Sox. It was the Boston Red Sox, who it was and is understood by everyone in the world, were the Boston Red Sox long before Chaim Bloom, and would remain the Boston Red Sox long after Chaim Bloom. He agreed as a representative of the organization, not a personal guarantee. Any agreement that would have been made did not live and die with Bloom’s employment, nor was it tied to his employment in anyway. It was, is, and always will be, fully the responsibility of the organization, the duty transferable to the future employees and officers of the organization. In this case, those are all the same people except for Bloom and Breslow. The organization doesn’t get out of any commitment, to any player, vendor, fans, FSG, media, or broadcasting partner, advertising partner, Red Sox foundation partner, ticketing partner, or any agreement, made with anyone, just because a former employee or officer no longer works there. That’s not how things work.
Personally, I’m let down with how Devers handled it, he sounded selfish, and he likely was. He didn’t put the team first. But to put this on him, while ignoring the completely BS explanation about Bloom, is just as BS as their dumb cover.
Alex Cora especially has shown how dishonorable he is, and that his word means less than nothing. What a complete scumbag. Neither he, nor the Red Sox are behaving honorably. At this point, Devers making the comments in the article, walking back his opposition, puts him far ahead of Cora, Kennedy, Henry, and Werner.
The ONLY person that can even make the claim that it wasn’t his agreement is Breslow. But Breslow does not have the authority to null and void any agreement that was backed by Henry, Kennedy, or Werner. And with Cora, it would have to be known that it was coming from Breslow specifically, and the conversation about how and why the Red Sox can or will no longer honor Cora’s agreement, as well what they’re willing to do in lieu of the agreement, would have to take place. With the person involved, not via soundbites through the media from a lying weasel manager, with the 4 other people involved staying radio silent.
I can’t see why ANY player would want anything to do with the Red Sox after this, and it has nothing to do with player egos. Their word means nothing, you can’t trust anything they say or promise you. But what I REALLY can’t get over is Cora, between the Astros and this, he’s just the slimiest piece of garbage imaginable. Willing to say or do anything at anytime, no concept of right or wrong, no loyalty to anyone but himself.
Devers just wanted what was promised to him. That was his right, and not talking to him about breaking that promise just 1-year into a 10-year agreement, was a classless move. But doubling down on not talking to him, then trying to paint him as the villain for wanting what was just promised to him, and saying the agreement was no longer valid because one person involved is no longer there, is inexcusable. It’s disgusting. It’s the lowest of the low.
And Devers said that when he was accosted, by a reporter, caught off guard. It’s hardly his fault. He shouldn’t have been in a position of having to answer that question without being prepped by the team first.
This is not a Devers fail. It’s a Red Sox fail. And the fact that a heartless organization is being let off the hook by painting their own player, who they made the promise to, as the bad guy, only makes things so much worse. That’s getting into straight evil territory. Beyond effed up.
And the fact that fans seem to be piling onto the guy who was lied to, then forced to hash it through the media, and then finally painted to be the bad guy when he was really the victim being lied to, is tragic. People really are brainwashed to be bootlickers without any ability for critical thinking left. I honestly can’t believe anyone here would think Devers is the bad guy. He needed a talking to. The Red Sox, and evidently fans, need a lesson in ethics, morals, and law.
