Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers have dominated early Boston Red Sox spring training news since Devers expressed his reluctance to move from third base.
The Red Sox targeted third basemen as right-handed offensive reinforcements throughout the offseason, promising fans that Devers would be their starting third baseman until the head staff stated differently. Devers apparently took those words to heart, especially because he was not informed he could be moved until two days after the Sox acquired Bregman.
The eight-year Red Sox feels he was promised years’ worth of starts at third base by the previous chief baseball officer, Chaim Bloom. Manager Alex Cora responded bluntly to Devers’s steadfastness: “Chaim is in St. Louis now.” Current CBO Craig Breslow issued a more measured response to the friction between two of his veterans (one of whom detests that term).
“These things tend to have a way of working themselves out,” Breslow said to Sean McAdam of MassLive (subscription required). “This is not the first situation where a player’s been outspoken about something that they take a lot of pride in. And that’s OK. Like I said, they tend to work themselves out.”
Craig Breslow confident Red Sox third base battle will work out for the best
Breslow also expressed trust in Alex Cora’s ability to bring everyone in the clubhouse on the same page. Although he didn’t state it directly, the only thing Devers needs to agree on is changing positions, which doesn’t bode well for his chances of staying at the hot corner.
Regardless of his stats at third base, Devers has always taken pride in his defense. Throughout his eight-year career, he has led the MLB in third-base errors five times and the American League twice. The third baseman may feel slighted after being asked to relocate, but 2024 was his finest defensive season to yet. In 130 games, he made 12 errors, which is still an AL-leading figure but still too many. This was his lowest error total in his career.
Bregman and Devers are key players in Boston’s lineup and will be included in some capacity. Bregman remains a possibility at second base, where Cora envisions the long-time Astros infielder winning a Gold Glove. Devers has been splitting his infield exercises between second and third base, but his shoulder issues have slowed his routines.
There appears to be little tension between the two infielders as their position struggle plays out. Cora said that the two players spoke for “45 minutes” over a team dinner at his house, indicating no friction between the two candidates for the same starting spot.
Regardless of who gets the third base job, Breslow believes Boston’s depth is a positive thing. Two players competing for the same role will always be preferable to scrambling for players to fill holes. Bregman and Devers are World Series champions, with nine and eight years of experience, respectively, and are both determined to win. Hopefully, Breslow’s confidence that everything will turn out becomes a reality — many spring training tiffs tend to blow over before the season begins.
