With team legend Barry Bonds sitting a few feet away nodding in approval, Rafael Devers joined the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
In a press conference frequently interrupted by applause and laughter, the former Red Sox star put on his new No. 16 jersey and unfamiliar black-and-orange cap, then said he would do whatever the Giants asked of him, including play first base.
“They’re the men in charge. I am here to play wherever they want me to play,” Devers said, glancing at president of baseball operations Buster Posey and manager Bob Melvin as he spoke. “I’ll give them my best.”
It wasn’t just talk. Devers was on the field about 45 minutes later taking ground balls at first base next to former Sox teammate Dominic Smith.
He was the designated hitter once the game started and was 2 for 5 with an RBI double in a 3-2 loss against the Cleveland Guardians.
Read Peter Abraham's full story from San Francisco at Globe.com/Sports | 
