The Boston Red Sox are on a roller coaster ride out of the gate in 2025.
It was an offseason worthy of celebration for Craig Breslow, Alex Cora, and the Red Sox brass. The Garrett Crochet trade and Walker Buehler signing turned Boston’s rotation into a formidable force overnight. Then, to top it all off, the Red Sox inked Alex Bregman to a flexible deal, adding the right-handed slugger their lineup was sorely lacking.
All of a sudden, the Red Sox have gone from an afterthought in the AL East to a genuine challenger to New York’s crown. At least on paper.
Unfortunately, the game of baseball isn’t actually played on paper, so other complicating factors can impact a team’s success. Such as ego, or perhaps personality.
When the Red Sox landed Bregman on a shiny three-year, $120 million deal, questions immediately surfaced around his position. Bregman has spent his entire career at third base. So has Rafael Devers, Boston’s highest-paid player — previously inked to a 13-year, $330 million contract that broke the franchise record.
It would seem those questions aren’t going away.
Rafael Devers will accept Red Sox DH role for now, but it could lead him to a new team
The on-paper solution is easy: bump Devers to DH, find a new home for Masataka Yoshida, and let Bregman defend third. He offers a much better glove than Devers, who ranks among the worst infielders in baseball. Devers can hit for days, but actually defending third base has never been a strength. It’s just his position of choice.
Unfortunately, Devers felt entitled to third base after past promises from past front office regimes. And he made his displeasure known when Bregman began taking spring training reps at the hot corner.
At first, Devers flatly refused to switch to DH and even threatened a trade.
““That’s a tough answer to give [about whether I’d request a trade]. I haven’t given it much thought. I’ve been here my entire career. I haven’t asked myself that question. I’m open to listening. I’m not close to those conversations.”
In the weeks since, as he nurses an injury away from the limelight, Devers has softened his stance. He told reporters this week that he will do whatever the Red Sox need him to, whether it’s line up at third base or accept a move to DH. In short, Devers read the tea leaves and understood that Bregman is Boston’s third baseman, whether he likes it or not. The seven years left on Devers’ contract does his leverage.
That said, just because Devers is taking a more diplomatic stance in the media, that doesn’t mean he is “okay” with Bregman’s hot corner takeover. In fact, based on the latest reporting from MassLive’s Sean McAdam, it sure sounds like Devers’ trade threat extends beyond the comments he first made to reporters in the heat of the moment.
“According to sources, Devers was angry enough about the situation to consider asking for a trade,” McAdam writes. “And it’s possible that, as part of his “private conversations” with Craig Breslow and Co. that he indeed relayed that. Devers is savvy enough to know the Red Sox are not about to disclose any such request, since, if it ever came to a point where a trade was seriously considered, the Sox would lose leverage if Devers was rather publicly shooting his way out of town.”
Boston has zero obligation to trade Devers, but if he’s unhappy — and it impacts his commitment to the team — Craig Breslow and the front office might not have a choice. Teams will line up around the block to trade for Devers if he becomes available, even on his lengthy contract. The Red Sox are not on the other side of this controversy yet. It’s just being kept in-house, behind closed doors.
It is difficult to overstate the absurdity of Boston signing Bregman without first running this possibility by Devers. For as talented as Bregman is, Devers is the heart and soul of the Red Sox. He is the foundational piece at Fenway. As such, any move threatening to alienate him is too profound a risk.
The Red Sox are walking a delicate tightrope with the 28-year-old. Let’s see if they can keep their balance.
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