Alex Bregman left the Houston Astros for the Boston Red Sox this winter, a move that was expected by all but Jose Altuve. The Astros star said he would do anything necessary to keep Bregman, including switching positions if called upon. Altuve was willing to move to left field, which the Astros are having them do anyway despite not signing Bregman long term. Baseball can be a brutal business.
“He’s like a kid in a candy store right now,” Astros coach Dave Clark said, per The Athletic's Chandler Rome. “This is a challenge for him and he’s going to go out and give it the best effort he possibly can. Sometimes we just have to slow him down a little bit because he wants to do too much too soon.”
Altuve will only play left field part time, as the Astros corner outfield situation has been in flux ever since they traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. As for Bregman, a return to the Astros always seemed outlandish, even if Dana Brown claimed they were exhausting all options.
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Rafael Devers should take Jose Altuve's position change as inspiration
However, it is Altuve's willingness to move over in the first place that should have Bregman missing Houston. Now with the Red Sox, Bregman is dealing with a position identity crisis of his own. Bregman is a former Gold Glove winning third baseman. That position is taken by Rafael Devers, and even though Boston is a better team with Bregman manning the hot corner, getting their franchise icon to agree to such terms hasn't been easy.
“Third base is my position. It's what I play. I don't know what their plans are. We had a conversation. I made it clear on what my desires were. Whatever happens from here, I don't know," Devers said.
Bregman showcased his leadership by taking Devers denial in stride, saying he would play wherever necessary to help the Red Sox win games.
“I think everybody here believes in their abilities,” Bregman said. “I think all of us believe that if we all put together a good effort this season, we have a really good chance of being a winning baseball team. I can only talk for myself but I’ll play wherever helps the team win.”
In the end, Alex Cora will make the right decision, which ideally is Bregman taking most of the reps at third. But did it really have to be this hard?
Altuve is proof that the right players – and the right leaders – always find a way to make it work.