SAN FRANCISCO — 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.
Melvin expects it will take some time before Devers plays first base. He will be the DH until then.
“We’ll get him some ground balls at first and make sure he’s comfortable before we put him over there,” Melvin said. “That’s the way we look at it, a little bit of DH and a little bit of first base.”
But Devers did not discount the idea of playing first base as soon as Friday night against the Red Sox, saying he planned to work hard at his new position over the next two days.
“I’m going to try and get there as fast as I can,” he said. “Whenever the manager and coaches feel I’m ready, I’ll going to be ready.”
That was the attitude the Red Sox hoped Devers would take this season. But he refused, telling first chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and then principal owner John Henry, who also owns the Globe, that he would not take on a new position.
His intransigence went back to the offseason when Devers felt the Red Sox should have communicated with him more forthrightly about their plans to sign free agent third baseman Alex Bregman and move Devers to DH.
Devers settled in as the DH, becoming one of the best run producers in the American League. But when first baseman Triston Casas was lost for the season with a knee injury in May, Devers refused to move to first base for the sake of the team.
Henry made an in-person appeal in Kansas City on May 9 that Devers turned down. The Sox started discussing a trade with the Giants soon after.
“It’s been in the works for three or four weeks,” Posey said. “I’ve had conversations with group and then eventually Craig Breslow and myself the last week to 10 days.”
The Giants were unsuccessful in their attempts to land a middle-of-the-order slugger in recent years, missing out on Carlos Correa, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Giancarlo Stanton.
Posey jumped at the opportunity to obtain Devers for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks and two minor leaguers. The Giants also absorbed approximately $254 million in salary through 2033.
“This is a great day for the San Francisco Giants and the city of San Francisco,” Posey said.
“Great players have the ability to transcend generations, and Rafael Devers is one of those players. He’s the type of player that makes his teammates around him better. Rafael Devers is a dude.”
With his new coaches, teammates and team staff in attendance, Devers handled the press conference with aplomb. He jokingly acknowledged Bonds by saying that just being in the presence had already made him a better hitter.
Afterward, agent Nelson Montes de Oca said Devers was willing to play first base for the Sox but wanted the team to commit to keeping him at that position.
Devers never asked Breslow to trade him. But he let the team know that might be best for both sides.
Devers met San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie after his workout at first base. But he said he was more anxious at the thought of talking to Bonds, baseball’s all-time home run leader.
Devers received a standing ovation from the crowd when he came to bat for the first time as a Giant, but did not acknowledge the cheers.
As chants of, “Raffy! Raffy!” broke out, Devers struck out swinging against Slade Cecconi.
The crowd applauded again. That doesn’t happen in Boston.
“For my first-at-bat obviously I was a little bit nervous because of the ovation,” said Devers, who used a translator over the course of the day with the media. “I didn’t expect that. But it was great to see the fans welcome me.”
Devers said it felt “weird” to wear a new uniform.
“But I’ll get used to it,” he said. “I already turned the page.”
Devers first signed with the Red Sox as a 16-year-old in 2012. Will it be strange for him to face his former team on Friday at Oracle Park?
“That’s baseball. “Devers said. “Obviously, the goal is to win the games. I’ll do my best.”
Despite several questions about the situation, Devers did not speak to his issues with the Red Sox, saying that was in the past.
But he did answer when asked if he had a message for the fans
“I want to thank the Boston fans,” he said. “They supported me throughout my whole time there, and I just want to say thank you.”
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.
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