The Boston Red Sox have two All-Star third basemen. That’s one too many, and Rafael Devers isn’t happy about it.
Devers had scathing criticism for general manager Craig Breslow and the Boston front office when he spoke to media yesterday. “They talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove, that I wasn’t going to play any other position but DH… I don’t understand some of the decisions that the GM makes. Next thing you know, someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield.”
The Red Sox signed Alex Bregman this offseason to a three-year, $120 million deal, which necessitated a position change for either him or Devers. The solution was to make Devers a full-time designated hitter, and he hasn’t taken the field all season. Meanwhile, Bregman has started every game for the Red Sox at third base except for one, when Romy Gonzalez filled in.
That seemed to be working okay until first baseman Triston Casas ruptured his patella tendon last week, and he will miss the remainder of the season. The simplest solution would be for Devers to give first base a try, but he has been clear about his unwillingness to play a different position from the moment the team signed Bregman.
Both Devers and the organization have cause to point fingers at each other. Nearly all players have to learn a new position at some point in their careers, including stars like Devers. He isn’t considered a strong defender either. Baseball Savant credits him with -29 Outs Above Average since 2021. Meanwhile, Bregman won a Gold Glove last year for his stellar work at the hot corner.
At the same time, the organization apparently didn’t communicate enough with their star player before signing Bregman. The extent of their conversations and how much they factored into their decision to acquire another big name at the same position are unknown, but this problem could’ve been foreseen.
As expected, Bregman and Devers have been the two best hitters in Boston’s lineup this season. Bregman is hitting .318/.392/.596 while Devers has a .255/.379/.455 batting line and leads the American League in walks. In Casas’s absence, Gonzalez and Abraham Toro have manned first base, but neither of them has a track record as a strong hitter.
Devers has spent his entire career in the Red Sox organization, originally signing with them as a teenager in 2013 and debuting in 2017. He’s in the second season of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract that culminates after the 2033 campaign. The club decided to build around him and make him the face of the franchise when they traded Mookie Betts and let Xander Bogaerts walk away as a free agent.
In the short term, Devers’ unwillingness to move to first base and Casas’s injury leave a hole in Boston’s lineup. Their currently 20-19, so they will need to bolster that position before the trade deadline to solidify a playoff run.
In the medium term, this could be a year-to-year problem. Bregman can opt out of his contract after each season of the deal. He would be a highly-regarded free agent if he wanted to test the market again this winter, but he could also stay in Boston and collect $40 million per year. As long as Bregman remains at third, Devers is stuck at designated hitter.
Long term, the Red Sox have to be worried about a subpar defender—who is now a full-time DH at age 28—locked up for eight more years while refusing to change positions. They probably hoped for more flexibility from him over the life of the contract, but that doesn’t appear likely, especially now that his relationship with management has soured. The situation is a complicated mess that won’t get any easier for Breslow and Boston to clean up.
