Red Sox 3B drama nearly drove Rafael Devers to drastic decision, claims MLB insider

The drama surrounding the third base position for the Boston Red Sox nearly drove Rafael Devers to do something drastic. A new report from Boston insider Gordon Edes shared the report from Sean McAdam..

The Red Sox brought in a former All-Star third baseman and had reportedly considered making Devers a DH or moving him to first base, but he declined to say he was open to anything but playing third.

Sean McAdam reported, with Edes' confirmation, that Alex Bregman's signing and the ensuing position controversy nearly led Devers to request a trade. In fact, there's a belief that he might've told the front office that he'd ask out if they wanted him to move positions.

There are still about two weeks left until Opening Day, so the final lineup is not necessarily set. The Red Sox have until then to finalize their defensive alignment, and what they do may have major ramifications on Devers' future.

He's signed to an extension that ends in 2033, and he intended to be the everyday third baseman for the team moving forward. This could mean Bregman plays second, or the team could have a serious issue on their hands.

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Rafael Devers says he spoke with the Red Sox

Amid the third-base controversy, Rafael Devers finally had a meeting with Red Sox brass in which he spoke about his thoughts. Previously, the entire conversation had been held largely through the media.

Rafael Devers finally sat down with the Boston Red Sox (Imagn)

Devers said, via ESPN:

"I'm here to help. I've already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I'm just ready to play."

He refused to admit private details but summed it up:

"I'm not going to share what we talked about here just because it would make me come off ... those are private conversations. So I told them everything of my point of view, how I see things, and they know that."

As for that reported trade request, Devers seems to have cooled down. When asked if he expected to be on the roster and playing on Opening Day, he confirmed that he did.

Devers hasn't played as much during Spring Training because he's been resting sore shoulders after the offseason program and didn't want to get hurt before Opening Day, but he did play an intrasquad game on Thursday and hit a home run.