SAN FRANCISCO – Roman Anthony’s mother and father have an affinity for Napa Valley wine, and on their annual visits from Florida, their youngest son tagged alongside to some video games at Oracle Park.
Friday evening noticed all of them return, solely this time Anthony was the Boston Crimson Sox’s designated hitter, a task Rafael Devers flourished in earlier than his commerce Sunday to the Giants.
“I’ve been here quite a few times. I got to watch Tim Lincecum throw as a kid,” Anthony stated. “It was always fun. It’s just a great ballpark.”
Anthony is Boston’s subsequent nice prospect, and final week’s big-league debut helped mood Crimson Sox Nation’s outrage over Devers’ departure.
“I got to know him a little bit last year and spent time with him in camp this year. He was always great to me,” Anthony stated. “He was always great to watch. Obviously when you have a hitter who’s generational like him, it’s great and you learn from watching him.”
Boston Crimson Sox’s Roman Anthony (19) prepares to swing in opposition to the San Francisco Giants within the seventh inning of their MLB sport at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
What precisely may Anthony — and, now, younger Giants gamers — study from watching an expert hitter like Devers?
“You watch their routines. You watch how on-point they are with everything they do,” Anthony stated. “How good his cage work is and everything he does, it’s no mistake why he is as good as he is.”
Crimson Sox supervisor Alex Cora coined this collection’ reunion with Devers as “awkward,” contemplating his contributions the previous 8-plus seasons.
“If you look at the list of homers in the franchise (10th, with 215), and base hits (24th, with 1,136), the (2018) World Series ring, there’s a lot of stuff Rafi did for us that we’re going to miss,” Cora stated. “We’re very happy with him. To see him right here it’s going to be completely different.
“He’s going to keep doing his thing over here.”
Devers is 3-for-16 since becoming a member of the Giants, together with an 0-for-5 outing in Friday evening’s 7-5 series-opening loss to Boston.
Reasonably than good riddance, a number of Crimson Sox gamers joined Cora in wishing Devers properly in San Francisco, which inherited his $313.5 million contract by means of 2034.
“It was a very difficult moment for me and for us, but I feel he’s going to be successful anywhere he goes,” outfielder Wilyer Abreu stated. “My best wishes to him. Hopefully he’ll stay healthy and he’ll do a great job.”
San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) walks within the dugout after grounding out within the fifth inning of their MLB sport at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Shortstop Trevor Story has little question Devers can add to Oracle Park’s modest complete of 106 “Splash Hits” over the right-field arcade.
“He can definitely do it – one of the most prolific hitters in our game and one of the most powerful guys, for sure,” Story stated.
What Story wouldn’t weigh in on is the controversy that factored into Devers’ exit: Whether or not he’ll play first base when not the DH.
Devers rebuffed repeated questions on his Boston tenure, however did word: “I would say I have put up good numbers over at Boston and I do feel I’ve earned some respect. If they would have asked me at the beginning of spring training, yes I would have played (first base).”
Cora stated he’s not stunned that Devers, the Crimson Sox’s third baseman the previous eight seasons, is fielding grounders at first base earlier than video games this week for Giants’ skipper Bob Melvin, who’s eliminated Devers from consideration as a 3rd baseman.
Cora insisted the Crimson Sox’s motive for the commerce was nothing private.
“People have their opinions about the whole thing – communication, first base, DH, third base, the manager, the GM, the owner. Whatever. It’s a baseball trade,” Cora stated. “From my end, I turn the page. I’ve got 26 guys in that locker room that are ready to go. We’re in a good spot, playoff-wise, right? It’s still early in the season but the guys are doing an outstanding job in the moment. We have a big series here and our goal is to win.”
Anthony went 1-for-4 Friday evening, ripping an RBI single 112 mph up the center after which scoring on an error to place Boston forward 5-4 within the fifth.
Final week, he doubled in his second sport for his first big-league hit, whereas mother and father Tony and Lori sat within the entrance row with different household and associates. His first house run got here Monday in his street debut at Seattle.
Anthony entered Friday’s sport with solely two hits in 27 at-bats since his June 9 debut, a sport wherein he collected his first RBI on a groundout that drove in, of all folks, Devers.
“That first week at home was a whirlwind, with a lot of people there,” Anthony recalled. “It was great but it was kind of nice to be past the first week, strap it in, get to Seattle, handle everything on my own, and getting my first (home run) out of the way was cool.”
Anthony was solely 3 when Barry Bonds was ending his profession in 2007 – and hitting his thirty fifth Splash Hit.
“That’s something that would be cool, to run into one and see that out there,” Anthony stated. “That’s really unique with people in the kayaks and everything out there. That’d be fun, for sure. That’d be nice.”
Each Anthony and Devers nearly hit house runs Friday evening, solely their blasts went the other option to the left-field warning monitor for deep flyouts.
Whereas Anthony’s roster spot isn’t formally linked to Devers’ departure, Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks have been two former Giants pitchers acquired within the commerce and each not too long ago pitched on the facet at Triple-A Worcester.
Cora stated of that duo, beginning with Harrison: “We expect big things out of him, just like they did. A special fastball. We saw it last year at one point, so we’re excited about that. … Hicks threw live BP yesterday and today he felt OK with the toe. It’s another good arm we’ll have in the bullpen. He’s going to fit right in and help us win a lot of games.”
Boston is 40-37 with visions of postseason competition.
“(Devers’ trade) was more a shock to the system for a bit. We did a good job not letting it hang around,” Story stated. “There’s ball to be played and we know we have a good team. We’ve built a lot of momentum the past two weeks, and we’re looking to continue that even though we lost Rafi.”
