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Alex Bregman signed with the Boston Red Sox, giving them two players who primarily play third base. Rafael Devers plays the position, and when asked if he'll DH, he plainly said that he wouldn't.
It has sparked controversy since Bregman is a Gold Glove player at third, and Devers has poor defensive metrics. Bregman could play second base, but that might not be the most ideal defensive alignment.
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However, former Red Sox star and MLB Hall of Famer David Ortiz said that the team needs to defer to Devers on this one. Via Hector Gomez, Ortiz said:
“You are not talking about just another ball player, you are talking about Rafael Devers, the current David Ortiz-type player the Red Sox have. Listen to me, that’s the team’s best player. Bregman might have better defensive numbers, I’ll give you that. But you are not talking about a 'Mickey Mouse' type of player, you are talking about Rafael Devers."
Ortiz compared Devers to himself, although Ortiz spent much of his time at DH. Devers, since he debuted in 2017, has -62 defensive runs saved at third base. Bregman, since his debut in 2016, has 27 DRS at third base.
Alex Cora addresses Alex Bregman, Rafael Devers controversy
There may have been a bit of awkwardness with how quickly Rafael Devers refused to consider a move to DH for Alex Bregman, but it didn't translate to the clubhouse. Manager Alex Cora said there's no tension between the two stars.
Via NESN, he revealed:
“It didn’t look that way yesterday at the house, I’ll tell you. They were talking for like 45 minutes. Things like this happen. Obviously, we play in this market and it’s big. Guys have their ideas. They’re proud and they say the things that they do. But like I said yesterday, it’s not about Alex or Raffy or AC. It’s about the Boston Red Sox.”
Per the manager, both players just want the best for the team and had a productive conversation about what the future holds for both of them after Bregman's three-year deal.
