After the Red Sox turned down his request to play first base, it seems Rafael Devers has found a supporter in Boston icon David Ortiz.
Ortiz stepped in to defend Devers following a season-ending injury to first baseman Triston Casas. “He’s doing well as a designated hitter. They wanted him to do that, and he’s excelling,” Ortiz remarked on Monday. He noted the tricky situation concerning Casas and mentioned, “In people’s minds, the idea is: [Masataka] Yoshida can move to DH and we’ll be a better team. Sure, that’s a nice thought. But what’s the reality? The kid was just asked to focus on hitting during spring training, and now you want to switch things up? That’s going to require time.”
Devers is now in his ninth season with the Red Sox and inked a hefty $331 million extension for 11 years earlier this year. Although he primarily played third base throughout his career, the team has shifted focus to his hitting after signing new players this offseason, which stirred up some drama in the preseason.
Ortiz, who spent 14 of his 20 MLB seasons with the Red Sox and won three World Series, has cherished a Hall of Fame career, often playing first base.
With the injury to Casas, it was expected that someone would step up and fill in. However, Devers expressed, “They can’t really expect me to handle every position. In spring training, they said to focus on my hitting… I don’t think it’s fair to expect me to switch positions.” Clearly, concentrating on hitting has proved beneficial; Devers is hitting .286, with 52 RBIs and 12 home runs, leading MLB.
“We specifically asked him to be the DH,” Ortiz reiterated. “I recall that conversation from spring training… he’s delivering what’s needed.”
Known as “Big Papi,” Ortiz recognizes that while a bit of flexibility can be advantageous for the team, he remains firm that there isn’t anyone better than Devers for the role. “If Devers wants to practice at first base and tackle the full defensive responsibilities, that’s really up to him,” Ortiz said.
