Rafael Devers' Stubbornness to Stay at 3B Could Cause Problems For Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox signed Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman last week, but they may have to slot him in at second base if Rafael Devers refuses to become a designated hitter.

Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) fields a ground ball in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. / Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

Rafael Devers has been the Boston Red Sox's everyday third baseman for seven years running, and he doesn't want that to change moving forward.

That stubbornness could enflame the Red Sox's Achilles heel, though, and prevent them from contending for a championship in the process.

Devers spoke with reporters down at spring training in Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday, issuing his first public statements since Boston signed All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract. Bregman's arrival sparked discussions about Devers possibly changing positions, either to first base or designated hitter.

Bregman won a Gold Glove in the hot corner last season, after all, while Devers has averaged -8 defensive runs saved per year since reaching the majors in 2017. Inserting Bregman at third would also open the door for top prospect Kristian Campbell to take over at second base once he gets promoted to the big league roster.

Devers, who is one season into his blockbuster 10-year, $313.5 million extension, does not seem pleased with that potential alignment.

"Third base is my position, it's what I play," Devers said through an interpreter. "I don't know what their plans are. Like, I know we had a conversation, I made it clear what my desires were and, yeah, whatever happens from here, I don't know."

When asked how he would react if the Red Sox asked him to serve as their designated hitter, Devers didn't need a translator to get his point across.

"No," Devers said, before smiling and shrugging.

Rafael Devers made it very clear he wants to be the third baseman. Wow.

Asked about the idea of moving to DH… he said no. pic.twitter.com/JmfEIlD10O

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) February 17, 2025

Devers is under contract with the Red Sox, so manager Alex Cora and president of baseball operations Craig Breslow should be able to force him to do what they want. Cora suggested that could be the case on Monday, noting that the regime that promised Devers he would be the club's third baseman of the future is no longer in power.

"Different people in charge, right?" Cora said. "There's a different leader here. You know, Chaim (Bloom) is in St. Louis now."

When asked about Rafael Devers being promised he’d stick at 3B when he signed his extension… Alex Cora made it clear that Chaim Bloom isn’t here anymore. pic.twitter.com/ap9634CFWb

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) February 17, 2025

If the Red Sox can't convince Devers to move to designated hitter, that could complicate the team's plans in the present and the future.

With Devers cemented at third, Bregman will have to play second. In a vacuum, that isn't a massive issue, since Bregman's defensive abilities should translate, plus it would bring Boston's seven-year search for Dustin Pedroia's successor to an end.

However, Bregman slotting in at second would block Campbell.

Again, the Red Sox can work around that by moving Campbell to the outfield. He has played just as much center field in the minors as he has second base and shortstop, so moving him out there shouldn't be detrimental to his development.

Campbell isn't the only up-and-comer in Boston's farm system that is looking to debut early on in 2025, though. Outfielder Roman Anthony – by some accounts, the top prospect in all of baseball – is also knocking on the door after exploding in Triple-A down the stretch and earning an invitation to spring training.

So sooner rather than later, the Red Sox would be be starting Campbell and Anthony in the outfield, presumably alongside Jarren Duran. The 28-year-old Duran was once a highly-regarded prospect himself, and he is fresh off his first career All-Star appearance and an eighth-place finish in the AL MVP race.

A starting outfield of Duran, Campbell and Anthony looks nice, but it pushes both Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela to the bench. Abreu won a Gold Glove and finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, while Rafaela inked an eight-year, $50 million extension last April.

Rafaela can play shortstop, but he posted -2 defensive runs saved at the position last season. Despite playing slightly fewer innings in center field, Rafaela racked up 12 defensive runs saved patrolling that position in 2024.

The 24-year-old probably won't even get much time at shortstop, with Trevor Story still on the books for $72.5 million over the next three seasons. Plus, top prospect Marcelo Mayer is the heir apparent there, anyways.

So by locking himself in as a third baseman, Devers would be doing more than simply hurting the Red Sox's defense at his own position. Rafaela and Abreu – both Gold Glove-caliber talents in the outfield – would see their playing time slashed considerably.

Admittedly, Bregman is probably a superior second baseman to Campbell. Devers moving to designated hitter would also push Masataka Yoshida back into the outfield rotation, and he posted -4 defensive runs saved as Boston's left fielder in 2023 before getting held out of the field entirely in 2024.

Moving Devers to designated hitter – or to first base, pushing Triston Casas to DH – might not be an easy one-step solution to improving the Red Sox's defense overnight. But Cora and Breslow should be allowed to experiment and do what they think will give the team its best chance to win, instead of coddling a 28-year-old and bending to the three-time All-Star's will.

Jose Altuve has been the Houston Astros' second baseman for 14 years. Now, he is fielding fly balls in spring training, in case the team needs to move him to left field in 2025.

Devers simply needs to take a page out of Altuve's book and do what's best for his team. If Cora and Breslow determine that involves him moving off third base, that's what he should do.

A move to designated hitter could prolong Devers' career and keep him healthier, too, considering his history of shoulder and hamstring injuries. Just look at David Ortiz, who led MLB with a 1.021 OPS at age 40 in 2016.

Following in the footsteps of Ortiz should be what every Red Sox player aspires for. To be Boston's next superstar designated hitter – maybe on a championship team or two – would cement him as one of the franchise's all-time greats, regardless of position.

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