The Boston Red Sox completed a strong offseason of work when they signed former Houston Astros third baseman to a three-year, $120 million contract in free agency. And yet, while the move completes Boston’s roster on paper, it has created a complicated situation involving their cornerstone player, Rafael Devers.
The assumption was that Bregman would fill in at second base if he signed with the Red Sox. Manager Alex Cora didn’t necessarily agree with that train of thought, though, revealing that Bregman would play at both second and third base during spring training. This irked Devers, who bluntly said that he had no interest in ceding his spot at third base.
Now, it looks like there’s trouble in paradise. Both Devers and Bregman’s positions in the infield are unknown, which has a trickle-down effect to top prospect Kristian Campbell, who is trying to find his way onto the Opening Day roster. It’s created an uneasy situation for Cora, and while tensions are being downplayed by the team, it’s fair to wonder whether this team has a big problem brewing on their hands with Devers.
Why Red Sox Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman decision is so important
It’d be one thing if Devers was an average third baseman, but he’s not. He’s one of the top players at his position, and he’s the pillar Boston opted to build around. Rather than signing guys like Mookie Betts or Xander Bogaerts to long-term extensions, the Sox front office moved on from both of them, and instead ended up committing to Devers, handing him an 11-year, $331 million deal.
This isn’t to say that Devers is a worse player than either Betts or Bogaerts, but it provides context to why the team’s handling of their star player is so important. The addition of Bregman was undoubtedly a win for a Boston team that had become notorious for not spending in free agency in recent seasons. It’s created a tense situation with Devers, though, who is the face of the Red Sox.
Devers is Boston’s best hitter, and he’s coming off a strong 2024 campaign that saw him hit .272 with 28 home runs and 83 runs batted in despite battling shoulder injuries throughout the year. At 28 years old, he already has three All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers, and a World Series title to his name, and he is firmly in the peak of his career.
The main issue with Devers is his defense, which is lackluster at best at third base. While he’s made improvements during his time in the MLB, Devers is still one of the worst defensive third basemen in the league. He committed 12 errors last season, which was somehow the lowest figure of his career, but it’s still quite bad.
Bregman, on the other hand, is one of the best defensive third basemen in the MLB. He’s fresh off winning the first Gold Glove of his career in 2024, which is part of the reason why moving him to second base was something that most folks weren’t concerned about. Conversely, Cora seems to view that as a reason to not move him off of his preferred position.
Should Devers get moved away from third base? Given his poor fielding metrics, the obvious answer is yes. It’s good to see that he wants to prove he can hold up at the position, but Devers’ pride isn’t what the Red Sox need to prioritize. They finally have a team that has the capability of finding their way to the postseason, so fielding the best squad possible is what the priority needs to be.
The team’s investment in Devers, though, is what makes this decision so important. If the Red Sox move Devers off third and he gets ticked off, that could create even more problems for Boston. What if he requests a trade, or what if he sulks and a move to designated hitter results in his pristine hitting numbers dropping? There’s a lot to weigh with this decision when only thinking about Devers.
Then there’s Bregman, and to a lesser extent, Campbell. Bregman has made it clear that he’s OK playing whatever position Cora asks of him, which is precisely what fans want to hear. If Campbell excels in spring training and earns a spot on the Opening Day roster, that would put Cora in a bind. At that point, Devers may have no choice but to accept a move to designated hitter, which would leave Masataka Yoshida as the odd man out.
Time will tell how this all plays out, but this is a sneaky big decision for Cora to make right off the bat. He has to balance doing what’s best for the team, while also not angering Devers (which he may have already inadvertently done). If things unravel, it could set the tone for another disappointing campaign. That’s why, regardless of what decision Cora makes, he needs to make sure he gets it right and puts an end to any sort of tension that could be building up internally.
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