Rafael Devers’ desire to remain at third base eventually gave way to pragmatic acceptance. And Wednesday, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora made it official: Devers will start the season at designated hitter, paving the way for marquee free agent Alex Bregman to take over at the hot corner.
“We’re in the winning business,” Cora told the Red Sox’s flagship radio station a day before the club opens its 2025 season at the Texas Rangers.
That officially ends a roughly six-week saga that began when the Red Sox signed Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal that enables him to opt out of the deal after each of the first two seasons.
Bregman, a two-time All-Star and World Series champion with the Houston Astros, deferred to Devers upon reporting to the club, saying he’d be willing to move to second base.
But Cora signaled almost immediately that the preference would be for Bregman to take over at third. That leaves the door open for top prospect Kristian Campbell to inherit second base.
Devers stated his desire to maintain the position at which Boston signed him to a $313.5 million contract extension, saying upon reporting to camp, “Third base is my position. I don’t know what their plans are. I made it clear on what my desires were. Whatever happens from here, I don’t know.”
He struck a more accepting tone three weeks later, telling reporters he was “good to do whatever” after conversations with Cora and other Red Sox officials. Devers was slightly limited this spring as he recovered from injuries to both his shoulders.
The alignment gives Boston a star-studded top of the lineup, led by 2024 All-Star MVP Jarren Duran, followed by Devers and Bregman. Devers has averaged 32 home runs, 96 RBIs and an .873 OPS the past four seasons.
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