The Boston Red Sox have some tough decisions to make about their depth chart heading into Opening Day. One issue arose over the offseason when Boston agreed to a contract with free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. The team already had Rafael Devers at third, who was blindsided by the signing and being asked to change positions.
Devers initially said he wanted to play third and would not serve as a DH, but he has since retracted those comments and is willing to do whatever is best for the team.
Did the Red Sox ‘Poorly’ Handle the Rafael Devers Situation?
Former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski said on “Foul Territory” that the situation “was handled poorly.” When discussing how the Red Sox dealt with the Bregman signing, he mentioned that the team should have told Devers they were interested in signing Bregman and asked for his thoughts on moving positions.
Instead, they signed Bregman first and approached Devers afterward, leading to unnecessary drama.
“Could you imagine being the [Red Sox’s] third baseman and then all of a sudden without being told, no one mentioning it to you, they sign a guy,” Pierzynski said.
"It was handled poorly"@ajpierzynski12, @scottbraun & @FlavaFraz21 discuss the unfolding Rafael Devers drama – will he finally agree to be the DH? pic.twitter.com/nAT88NkLew
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 14, 2025
Devers has been a key player for the Red Sox, making it reasonable to expect the front office to consult him before making such a move. He’s also the team’s best hitter, and keeping him in the lineup is crucial for Boston’s postseason hopes.
Given that Devers is coming off a shoulder injury, starting him at DH makes sense to limit strain on his arm. His best skill is his bat, and as long as that is in the lineup, the team should be successful.
Boston Poised for a Successful Season in 2025
Now that the drama seems to have settled down, the Red Sox are poised to be one of the surprise teams in baseball this year. They have improved a lot after signing Bregman and trading for Garrett Crochet. It is not difficult to argue they have one of the top two rosters in the AL East, especially after the injury the Yankees suffered with Gerrit Cole.
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Boston is coming off three straight seasons of missing the postseason, so it was clear they needed to make some big moves this offseason to get back into contention. The top of the Red Sox lineup now consists of Jarren Duran, Devers, Bregman, and Triston Casas. That is a strong 1-4 and should allow them to be one of the best offenses in the American League this year.
With the Devers drama now an afterthought, the Red Sox can get back to focusing on winning games.