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The Boston Red Sox made a huge move last week, agreeing to terms with former Houston Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman. The longtime Astro has been one of the league’s better players and has been a fantastic postseason performer against teams like the New York Yankees.
But, the move creates a bit of a logjam at third base with Rafael Devers having manned the position at an All-Star level since entering the league in 2017. And, Devers made it clear on Monday that he is not moving from his spot on hot corner.
Devers has been one of the league’s best sluggers in recent years, making the All-Star Game in 2021, 2022, and 2024. He’s posted an OPS+ of 126 or higher in his last five full seasons, with the shortened 2020 season the outlier. But, his defense is subpar. Baseball Savant had him in the sixth percentile in range, and his arm strength is only average.
Compare to Alex Bregman, a former shortstop, who is a Gold Glove-caliber player, and you can see why some think the Red Sox should DH Devers, play youngster Triston Casas at first, and have Bregman play third.
But, Devers does not want that to be the case. Take a look.
Rafael Devers was adamant that third base is his position. When asked if he’d be open to being the DH, he gave a simple no.
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The problem is, I think that playing Bregman at third is definitely the smart move. Yeah, they could play him at 2nd, but Devers is still a liability in the field. Plus, the Red Sox want to call up top middle infield prospect Marcelo Mayer at some point this year, and he would slide nicely into the role at second. Devers might have to come to grips with the fact that he may not be the everyday 3B anymore at Fenway Park.