One Red Sox teammate holds the back of Rafael Devers.
Boston's first baseman, Triston Casus, said Devers should stay in the hot corner despite his recent signature with Alex Bregman and Alex Bregman, the third base Al Gold Glove. I said that.
Devers revealed Monday that he doesn't want to change positions.
“That's Laffy Devers's position,” Casas said. “He's the third base hand and at that point, it's where it stands and he's been doing it for a really long time now and he's only getting better in that position. The defenses of the group are getting better every year. I don't know they're holding the future, but I know there's Laffy Dever.
“He has to play defense. It will continue to exercise him, and he will try to hit, and because he is in 3 base he doesn't know any other positions and he is He doesn't want to play positions, and he goes to fight for it, even if it's with the young guys, the new guys. He is the best third baseman in the league I think. I won't take him to anyone. I think he should play 3 base.”
The pleasant atmosphere after the Red Sox landed Bregman in three years seems to have disappeared at first glance as there may be debates over the team's best roster composition.
The Boston Brass said they weren't out and Devers said they would handle 3 bases. This indicates that the team has Bregman's existing moves and could become a designated batsman.
Bregman saved a plus-6 defensive run on last year's 3 base, compared to Deverse's minus nine mark on each baseball reference.
But Devers said he wouldn't go to a base, be designated as a batter, or go anywhere else. He believes he is a 3 base player.
He also cited former top baseball executive Chime Bloom saying he would stay at 3 base after signing an 11-year extension with the team.
“I believe in people's words and I keep it in my mind. It was very surprising that they proposed it,” Devers said through an interpreter.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora pointed out that Bloom was gone with the Red Sox. This means that promises don't hold as much weight as they once were.
“There's someone different here, right?” Kora said. “We have another leader here. Chime (Bloom) is in St. Louis now.”
Bregman said he is open to playing wherever the team needs him to win, and that could be a second base.
A deep cut across this whole debate is that if Devers plays a single base, they could move Casas to the designated batsman role or be removed from the lineup.
Casus believes Bregman can make a smooth shift to 2 bases.
“He's going to make transitions well. He's athletic enough,” Casus said.
