More drama ensnares Rafael Devers at Boston Red Sox camp as he delays spring debut over injury concern
The drama continues to swirl around Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox this spring.
After the Red Sox signed Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal — complete with opt-outs after years one and two of the contract — Devers dug in his heels and insisted he wouldn’t be vacating the hot corner.
“Third base is my position,” Devers bluntly told reporters when asked if he would consider moving to designated hitter.
Despite being an All-Star slugger, Devers, who inked a mammoth 11-year, $331 million extension in January 2023, remains one of the worst defensive third basemen in baseball. The numbers tell a brutal story: Devers has either led the American League or all of MLB in errors seven times in his eight seasons, accumulating a staggering 141 total miscues at the position.
With Devers stubbornly refusing to move off third, Bregman will likely begin the season at second base — a decision that would effectively block the promotion of rising star prospect Kristian Campbell , creating yet another roster logjam.
“The decisions that are going to be made here about roster construction and about what we’re going to do in the future, we’re going to make sure we have the best team possible out there,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora diplomatically stated. “[Devers] has a lot of pride. We know that. He feels like he’s a third baseman. He’s going to work out as a third baseman and then we’ll make decisions accordingly.
“I think here it’s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora. It’s about the Red Sox.”
Now, the Red Sox front office finds itself navigating even more turbulence surrounding their franchise cornerstone.
Rafael Devers tells Boston Red Sox he’s not ready to play yet due to injury concern
According to a report from ESPN.com , Devers informed Cora he wasn’t prepared to make his spring training debut on Wednesday due to an injury concern.
Devers has been battling soreness in both shoulders and has spent the first two weeks of camp focused on strengthening them. He was shutdown near the end of 2024 due to shoulder inflammation.
Cora sidestepped questions about when Devers will finally take the field, but hinted it could happen this weekend.
Devers, a three-time All-Star, has cemented himself as one of baseball’s premier offensive threats during his tenure in Boston, crushing 200 home runs while maintaining an impressive .856 OPS, 126 OPS+, and accumulating a 22.5 bWAR with the franchise.
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