The Red Sox won’t say the quiet part out loud, but they’re also not playing their cards close to the vest.
Manager Alex Cora told reporters Wednesday that Rafael Devers will “probably not” get a game at third base before spring training is over, all but confirming that Boston is turning its $313.5 million superstar into a full-time designated hitter.
The move comes after the Red Sox signed former Astros stalwart Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract.
Shortly after the signing, Devers was defiant about the prospect of changing roles.
“Third base is my position,’’ Devers said through an interpreter last month. “That’s what I’ve played. I don’t know what their plans are. I know we had a conversation. I made it clear what my desires were, and yeah, whatever happens from here, I don’t know.”
Last week, however, the 28-year-old Devers changed his tune.
“We spoke already, and I’m good to do whatever they want me to do,” Devers told reporters, referencing talks with Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “I’m here to help. I’ve already spoken with them about that, and they know where I stand. I’m just ready to play.”
After Devers initially expressed no desire to move off of third base, first baseman Triston Casas said third base is Devers’ position and that Bregman should play second.
Devers, a three-time All-Star who helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018, has been the team’s primary third baseman since his MLB debut in 2017.
But Bregman, 30, is considered the superior infielder. He recorded six outs above average (OAA) last season, while Devers was at minus-six.
OAA, as defined by Statcast, “is the cumulative effect of all individual plays a fielder has been credited or debited with, making it a range-based metric of fielding skill that accounts for the number of plays made and the difficulty of them.”
Bregman has yet to get any game reps at second base, according to MassLive.com.
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