Rafael Devers was adamant that he did not want to give up playing third base after the Boston Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, but that is exactly what is going to happen.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed in a Wednesday appearance on WEEI that Devers will be the team’s full-time designated hitter this season. Bregman, as many expected, will play third base.
Last month, Devers stated that he had no plans to switch from third base. The slugger did not say that he would look for a trade if the Red Sox wanted him to be a DH.
Cora said the unsurprising change is being made, however, even if Devers is not thrilled about it.
“We had conversations throughout spring training. He was very vocal about how he felt, and we made a decision. Alex is gonna play third. Raffy is gonna DH,” Cora said. “We all are in the winning business, and he understands that. It’s like everything. You don’t have to agree with it, but at the end of the day what are we gonna do to go out there and perform every single day?”
Cora added that Devers has been getting used to his new routine, which suggests the three-time All-Star has been aware of the switch for a while.
Interestingly enough, the 28-year-old Devers is the same age that David Ortiz was when Big Papi became a full-time DH. That was in 2004, when the Red Sox broke their 86-year curse and won the World Series. Ortiz went on to win two more championships with the team and become one of the greatest hitters of all time. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Devers and Ortiz have spent time working together in spring training.
According to early reports, Bregman might go to a different position, but nobody but Devers believed that would benefit the club. Bregman, who is renowned for his strong defensive play, won a Gold Glove at third base the previous season. Devers is a liability on the field and has ended each season with a negative defensive wins above replacement (dWAR) total.
When asked where he would play in 2025, Bregman has steered clear of the subject, but it’s likely that he was always aware that he would be Boston’s third baseman.
The Red Sox’s best hitter is Devers, who has a career.279 hitter and a.511 slugging percentage. With him concentrating only on that, they ought to be a stronger squad.
