Rafael Devers might force Red Sox to rethink DH plans with horrid start

Beyond the Los Angeles Dodgers, no team put together a more broadly praised offseason than the Boston Red Sox. After years of stagnation, Craig Breslow finally opened up the checkbook and got aggressive.

Juan Soto was out of reach in the end, but Boston got the Garrett Crochet trade across the finish line and inked Alex Bregman to a historic contract. Both figure to contribute in big ways all season, while the Yankees and Orioles feel as vulnerable as ever in the AL East.

That said, the early returns on this new-look Red Sox team are mixed. After an impressive Opening Day performance from Wilyer Abreu, Boston's offense was hapless in a 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday. Bregman put his first Red Sox hit on the board, but Rafael Devers is 0-for-8 through two games with seven strikeouts and 14 whiffs. And it's as bad as it sounds.

Devers was blunt with reporters after the game and expressed confidence in a quick turnaround.

"I know that I haven't done my job and I know that I haven't done what I'm supposed to do. But I know that everything will change."

One can't help but point to Devers' new position: DH.

There was controversy early in spring training when Alex Bregman took the reins at third base, as Devers expected to play in the field. But Alex Cora has doubled down on the change, noting that Devers won't even get spot starts at third base when Bregman sits.

"He's the DH of the Boston Red Sox," Cora said. Point blank.

Well... maybe that won't hold up.

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Rafael Devers' slow start raises questions about transition to Red Sox DH role

Half the game of baseball is mental. Players slump for strange and implacable reasons sometimes. There is ostensibly no difference between hitting as a DH and hitting as a third baseman, but it's a unique process. Devers is watching his defense from the dugout, rather than fielding groundballs (or misfielding them). His entire focus is offense now. Maybe he feels increased pressure. Maybe it's just a fluky bad start and he'll be fine in a week (bingo). But the alarm bells are sounding.

This is, obviously, not a time to panic. It's the second day of the MLB season. The Red Sox are 1-1 with another 160 games on the docket. Devers is going to string together a couple bad games every now and then. Even the best hitters don't go 2-for-4 in every single game. It's way too early to question the change to DH or wonder if Boston's storybook renaissance is kaput.

That said, this is a storyline worth monitoring. Devers is almost definitely not quiet quitting, but it'd be objectively hilarious if his response to an unwanted change to "designated hitter" is to stop hitting. Devers has been an abject disaster in the field since arriving in Boston, but he's a 28-year-old franchise pillar on a $330 million contract. Rarely do those dudes get pushed out of the fielding rotation so early in their careers.

If this is a mental hurdle that Devers can't clear, Boston will need to eventually consider shaking things up and putting him back in the field. That complicates things, especially for No. 2 prospect and current starting second baseman Kristian Campbell, but it's the sort of desperate heave Red Sox fans need to keep in the back of their mind. Just in case Devers can't get out of this funk as the so-called designated hitter.