Rafael Devers has been at the center of Boston Red Sox drama since spring training when, after the organization signed Alex Bregman, he was asked to move off his position to be the team's DH. Now, in the wake of the Triston Casas injury, many fans and analysts alike have posed the idea of putting Devers back into the field to fill the void at first base. We didn't know how he felt about that previously. Now that we do, it seems like Devers is not only unwilling to do so, he might be upset at the Red Sox for even considering it.
On Thursday after Boston's dominant win to clinch a series over the Texas Rangers, Devers offered his first comments on the first base situation and he was both bold and adamant in his stance. He told Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic that he's not willing to play first base, nor does he understand why the organization is asking him to switch positions again.
McCaffrey also said that, while Devers said that everything is good in the clubhouse, he appears clearly frustrated with Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow.
Rafael Devers sounds off on Red Sox over possibility of playing first base
The framing of everything being okay in the clubhouse but seemingly not okay with the organization fits what we've heard to this point regarding Devers. Manager Alex Cora was firm in his stance that he wouldn't be moving Devers to first base when asked immediately following the Casas injury, but Breslow was more open to the idea. Thus, we get the sense that Devers is frustrated with the GM and the front office.
There are two sides to the coin when it comes to Devers in this situation. On one hand, he's the highest-paid player in Boston and, at some point, there has to be consideration of doing what's best for the team. At the same time, he's entirely justified in his feelings. It's not normal to ask a bonafide star player to change positions twice in two months, neither of which he's ever played before in his career. Pushing back on that idea shouldn't be something that leads to him being considered him a malcontent.
What comes out as the bigger question is what actually happens now that Devers has taken this stance in regards to first base. It seems generally agreed upon that the current Romy Gonzalez-Abraham Toro combo isn't the long-term solution for even the rest of the 2025 season. So if Devers is currently unwilling to make the move, then what?
Well, it's first worth considering that Devers, when first asked to move from third base to DH, was against that as well. He's since appeared to come around and seemed to be in that mindset by the end of spring training. There is at least some chance that, with some massaging from Cora to smooth out the relationship, the star slugger could once again have a change of heart.
If that doesn't happen, though, then the likeliest answer is that the solution to the first base problem isn't currently in the Red Sox organization. As trade talks start to heat up in the next couple of months, Boston has the farm system to deal from in order to find a viable option at the other corner of the infield. They can bide their time with Gonzalez and Toro until they can land on such a solution.
That's probably not the answer that Red Sox fans want to hear, and neither was Devers' response on Thursday. But again, it's entirely understandable for him to feel that way. This isn't MLB The Show. And now Breslow needs to get to work again at finding a real-life option in case the stance from the star he helped move to DH this offseason stands firm in his willingness to change positions again.