For Rafael Devers, the most stressful part of a weekend exhibition series in his home country is an attempt trying to fill Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal with as many friends and family members as he possibly can.
For Devers, the Red Sox superstar third baseman, the opportunity to don a major league uniform in his native Dominican Republic for the first time Saturday is nothing short of a dream come true. But it also comes with logistical issues when it comes to securing tickets in bulk at the 14,469-seat stadium in Santo Domingo.
“If it was up to me, I’d bring all of them,” Devers said recently through translator Daveson Perez, “but I don’t know how many tickets they’re going to give each of us. Obviously, I’m gonna give out all the tickets out that I do have. If it was up to them, they’d all go.”
Devers is one of a handful of Dominican-born Red Sox players who will get the chance to spend the weekend at home as Boston faces the Rays for a two-game exhibition series. Starter Brayan Bello, infielders Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez and lefty reliever Joely Rodríguez are among the others. For non-Dominican Red Sox players who have never been to the country, the trip will represent an opportunity to see one of the world’s great baseball cultures in action. But for a handful of players, it’s a homecoming.
“It’s gonna be an awesome experience,” Devers said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to play in such a game over there. I know other teams have had the chance to do it. It’s something that I’m looking forward to, my family’s looking forward to. It’s something we’re gonna enjoy together.”
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The two-game series — part of the 2024 MLB World Tour which will also visit Seoul, Mexico City and London for regular season games this year — represents the first time the Red Sox have visited the Dominican Republic as a team since 2000, when they faced the Astros for two exhibition games. The trip, which started Friday as the Sox contingent flew from Fort Myers to Santo Domingo and spent some time on a boat together, serves not only as a break from the monotony of spring training but also a team-bonding exercise. Major League Baseball limited the traveling parties for both clubs to a certain number of players, so the Red Sox couldn’t bring all 56 players they have left in major league camp. Fans in Santo Domingo will get to see a pretty representative squad with Devers, Trevor Story, Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Connor Wong and Ceddanne Rafaela among the position players making the trip and Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, Josh Winckowski, Brennan Bernardino joining Bello among pitchers.
Devers said he was hoping to serve as an unofficial tour guide.
“As Dominicans, we love our baseball,” he said. “When (my teammates) go over there, I’m excited for them to see just how it’s done over there. It’s gonna be a great experience for them.”
There’s work to be done, too. Crawford will continue his spring ramp-up by starting Saturday (5:05 p.m. ET) with Whitlock pitching Sunday (1:05 p.m. ET) in his latest rotation audition.
“We’re taking this very seriously,” said manager Alex Cora. ““It’s a good thing for us, too. Kind of like a change of pace, moving from (Fort Myers) and going over there for a few days and taking care of what we have to do on the field, but at the same time kind of resetting in the middle of spring training and having some fun.”
Bello, a Samaná native, expressed to Cora early in camp that he was hoping to pitch in Santo Domingo. The schedule didn’t line up to make that happen, as Bello’s last outing fell on Thursday in the form of a three-inning, 55-pitch simulated game. He’ll pitch again early next week and is a candidate to start on Opening Day.
While Bello was disappointed that he won’t pitch in his home country, the Red Sox gave him quite the consolation prize. The sides agreed to a six-year, $55 million extension earlier this week and will hold a press conference to discuss it before Saturday’s game.
Those festivities will add to an already-exciting weekend for the 24-year-old.
“It’s very important for us and also for the people in the Dominican Republic,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “There’s a lot of fans of the Red Sox as well as the Rays that don’t have the opportunity to come here to the States to see a game. And we have family that has never seen us play for a big league team. It’s very important for the country and for us as well.
“There’s a lot of excitement. I’ve received texts from people saying that they’re going to be at the game and asking if I’m going to pitch. On the personal side, I’m very excited. I can’t wait to be there and play in the D.R.”
Red Sox history will be well-represented in Santo Domingo, too, with David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez slated to throw out first pitches before Saturday’s game. Then the games, with results inconsequential, will begin. Don’t let the celebratory nature of the series fool you, though. Devers wants to perform — and even hit a homer in his home country.
“Oh, I’ll try,” Devers said.
