Red Sox Propose First Base Position for Devers, Who Turns Down Offer
Rewritten Article:
It seems the Boston Red Sox's Thursday afternoon was anything but celebratory. Despite a routine shutout win and a late homer from Rafael Devers, the DH for the season, things took a turn for the complicated.
You see, Devers' primary position has been shifted, as the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to play third base, a position that Devers also calls home. However, Bregman, renowned for his superior defense, has taken the spotlight.
Recently, with Triston Casas sidelined due to a torn patellar tendon in his knee, the Red Sox were in need of a power-hitting first baseman. With Craig Breslow, the team's chief baseball officer and ex-reliever, leading the way, they turned to Devers for help. But, as it turned out, this wasn't just a simple position change for Devers.
In an unprecedented move, Devers expressed his reluctance to switch positions again this season. "They had the conversation with me," Devers told reporters in Boston. "I don't think, for me personally, it's the best decision after they asked me to play a different position."
It's been a bumpy road for Devers, who signed a whopping 10-year, $330 million contract in Jan. 2023 after the Red Sox showed no interest in retaining Xander Bogaerts. The team sat out the first offseason of the new contract but were active in the following offseason, following a 78-84 finish, signing Bregman shortly before spring training.
At first, talk circulated about Bregman moving to second base and keeping Devers at third. However, the Red Sox had other plans and asked Devers about going to designated hitter, a move that annoyed Devers, according to reports, enough to consider seeking a trade away from the Red Sox.
Nonetheless, Devers agreed to the first switch and struggled initially. He went hitless in his first 19 at-bats across Boston's first five games. Lately, his numbers have been correcting slightly, and Devers voiced his displeasure, commanding attention as someone hitting .383 over the past 12 games.
The success seems to stem from Devers' increasing comfort with the routine of being the designated hitter and taking swings, watching the game unfold, and observing how opposing pitchers are throwing.
"I know I'm a ballplayer," Devers explained, "but at the same time, they can't expect me to play every single position out there." In spring training, he was told to "put away his glove" and play strictly as DH. Now, Devers feels it's unreasonable for the team to ask him to move to another position.
The Red Sox find themselves in this predicament as they rotate Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro at first base in a platoon. Gonzalez has made 32 career appearances at first, while Toro has played there 18 times. With other options scarce, it appears Devers might be hinting at the team's inability to find another option for the position.
Surprisingly, this heated discussion about position changes doesn't seem to be affecting Devers' relationship with his teammates or impacting his performance at the plate. Fingers crossed, as the Red Sox aim to make a playoff run in the final month.
- As a hitter, Rafael Devers is currently grappling with a change in position requests from the Boston Red Sox, who have signed Alex Bregman to play third base.
- Craig Breslow, now the Red Sox's chief baseball officer, has had to deal with a somewhat complicated situation involving Devers, as Devers voiced his reluctance to switch positions again this season.
- In baseball's MLB, Devers was forced to rupture his comfort zone when Breslow requested him to shift to designated hitter, a move that Devers finds unreasonable.
- The New York Yankees' main rivals, the Boston Red Sox, are facing an unexpected hurdle in their pursuit of a playoff run, as their power-hitting first baseman, Devers, is hinting at the team's inability to find another option for the position.
