Red Sox Make Major Rafael Devers 3B Declaration Ahead Of Opening Day

The saga is nearing its end...

Sep 12, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) throws out New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (not pictured) after fielding a ground ball during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox still aren't officially saying it. They're just heaviily implying it.

All spring, the biggest point of contention about the Red Sox lineup has been whether Rafael Devers or Alex Bregman would play third base. The former is the incumbent, a homegrown three-time All-Star, but the latter, who just got paid $120 million to join the team, is a vastly superior defender.

At the beginning of camp, Devers emphatically stated that he was a third baseman, and wouldn't accept a move to designated hitter. But as time went along, it seemed more clear by the day that DH was his eventual fate.

Devers, recovering from shoulder injuries that plagued him all last offseason, hasn't appeared in a game yet at the hot corner all spring. Meanwhile, Bregman has played just one inning at second base, the other position the Red Sox could have shifted him to upon his arrival.

Now, any last-minute hopes of Devers taking back the third base gig seem to be fading.

According to MassLive's Chris Cotillo, manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Devers is "very unlikely" to appear in a spring training game at third base. With the regular season just eight days away, Devers will be ready to DH for the season opener against the Texas Rangers.

There's still a chance Devers could see some time at third base during the regular season, but it's hard to imagine that would happen on a regular basis. Unless Bregman gets injured, Devers would likely only play there to give the starter a breather.

While Devers bristled initially at the suggestion that he could move positions, he eventually relented publicly. He reportedly considered asking for a trade, but even if he'd walked into the front office and demanded to be moved elsewhere, he's under contract for nine more years, so the Red Sox would have been under no obligation to do so.

Ultimately, the Red Sox didn't pay Devers $313.5 million for his defense. He's there to hit, and the sooner he adjusts to the DH role, the better the team will be in the long run. They just have to weather the storm for now, while emotions are still running high.

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