Devers wants to stay put: 'Third base is my position'

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers was adamant on Monday in saying he has no interest in moving off the position he¡¯s played his entire career.

Making his first comments of Spring Training just days after the Red Sox officially announced the signing of free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, Devers, the only remaining member of Boston¡¯s last World Series championship club in 2018, struck a prideful tone.

¡°Third base is my position,¡± said Devers. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯ve played. I don¡¯t know what their plans are. I know we had a conversation. I made it clear, kind of what my desires were and whatever happens from here, I don¡¯t know.¡±

Bregman was the American League¡¯s Gold Glove Award winner at third base in 2024.

Meanwhile, Devers recorded minus-6 Outs Above Average last season, which ranked tied for 36th among 43 qualified third basemen last season. Devers has often been a below-average defensive third baseman by OAA, and his minus-34 OAA since 2020 is the worst at that position among qualified third basemen.

Devers acknowledged that Red Sox manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow discussed the possibility of him moving off the hot corner to make room for Bregman on on Friday, two days after the team agreed to terms with Bregman.

The left-handed-hitting slugger was candid with the team¡¯s brass, saying he wants to stay put.

Cora has been steadfast since the Bregman signing was made official that the situation is fluid, and decisions will be made regarding positions and the roster at the appropriate time.

Apprised of what Devers said, Cora maintained his stance in his briefing with the media.

¡°Like I said a few days ago, decisions are going to be made here about roster construction and what we¡¯re going to do in the future, and we¡¯ve got to make the best decision possible out there,¡± Cora said. ¡°He¡¯s got a lot of pride, we know that. He feels like he¡¯s the third baseman and he¡¯s going to work out as a third baseman, and we¡¯re going to make decisions accordingly. I think it¡¯s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora. It¡¯s about the Red Sox. Whatever decision we¡¯d make is for the benefit of the team.¡±

If Devers stays at third, Bregman would move to second base. Cora has stated several times his belief that Bregman could make a seamless transition there.

The other issue complicating things is that Kristian Campbell, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 7 prospect, is a candidate to make the club. And if he does, second base is his best fit on the current roster.

In his introductory news conference on Sunday, Bregman was open-minded about his positional fit with his new team.

¡°It¡¯s too early right now to say Raffy is going to be a DH or going to play third base, or that Alex is going to be a second baseman or going to play third base,¡± said Cora. ¡°There is competition here, and I think flexibility and versatility is huge for us. We have some talented guys. We¡¯re going to take the best roster going to Texas [for Opening Day].¡±

One of Cora¡¯s strengths as a manager is how well he communicates with his players. He has confidence that will serve him well as this situation plays out in the coming weeks.

¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Raffy, we¡¯re going to keep working and we¡¯re going to making decisions on what we need to win the division,¡± Cora said. ¡°Me and Raffy have a great relationship. That¡¯s something where I make sure, ¡®Like, hey man, this is the baseball side of it. We¡¯re still Raffy and Alex.¡¯ I have been with this kid since November 2017. It¡¯s part of the business. We¡¯ll keep working. Decisions will be made based on roster construction. That¡¯s the reality of it and we¡¯ll keep talking.¡±

For the second year in a row, Devers was a newsmaker in his first news conference of Spring Training. Last year, he urged the team to do more to upgrade the roster.

From that standpoint, he is much more pleased heading into ¡¯25.

¡°Honestly, I think we have a hell of a team,¡± Devers said. ¡°I'm grateful to ownership for the moves that they made, the pieces that they added, and yeah, I'm really happy and ready to get going. I'm excited about we have.¡±

And despite the positional controversy it has created, Devers is happy to have Bregman on board.

¡°I think he's a great, great guy,¡± Devers said. ¡°He's experienced. He knows what he's doing, and he's a great addition to our team.¡±

Devers, who is under contract with the Red Sox through the 2033 season, was asked if he was disappointed the Red Sox broached the subject of him switching positions less than two years after he signed that deal.

¡°Since the beginning, I've known that this is a business,¡± said Devers. ¡°I know that each side is going to do what is best for them, what is most comfortable for them. I don't think that was the right way to do business. But I've always known that this is a business.¡±

In the end, the Red Sox are in the business of winning, and that¡¯s something Devers has missed doing the past three years.

¡°At the end of the day, Raffy is Raffy,¡± said Cora. ¡°Whoever sits here [and speaks], I¡¯m not going to coach them to say something they don¡¯t feel. But I can guarantee you something, he wants to win here. He wants to win a ring here in Boston.¡±