Speaking after Boston’s 5–0 win over the Texas Rangers, Devers explained that he had already been told before the season that he would not be playing in the field. That plan was implemented after the Red Sox signed former Houston Astros star Alex Bregman in the offseason to take over at third base—Devers’ long-time position. The club instead assigned Devers to designated hitter duties full-time, a move he begrudgingly accepted after some resistance during spring training.
Now, with a hole at first base and front office leaders seeking solutions, Devers is drawing a firm line. When chief baseball officer Craig Breslow approached him about the possibility of moving to first base, Devers outright declined.
“I’m a ballplayer, but that doesn’t mean I can play every single position,” Devers said via an interpreter. “In spring training, they made it clear I was going to be the DH and told me to put the glove away. That was the agreement. So to come back now and ask me to take on a new role doesn’t seem right.”
Rather than make the switch, Devers encouraged management to explore other options via trade, emphasizing that he shouldn’t be treated like a utility player who can be slotted in wherever a vacancy emerges.
“They need to do their jobs and find another player. I don’t understand why they want me as some kind of in-between. What’s next? Someone in the outfield gets injured and they want me to play out there too?” Devers said. “I know the type of player I am, and I know my value. That’s where I stand.”
The Red Sox have been attempting to fill the void at first with infielders Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro, though neither is considered a permanent solution. Devers implied that Breslow, a former MLB pitcher who spent 12 years in the league and won a World Series with Boston in 2013, should know better than to downplay how difficult it is to switch positions at the major league level.
“He played this game. He should know how tough it is to switch positions,” Devers said. “They’re the ones who told me they didn’t want me playing any other position. They put me in this situation.”
Devers, 28, has been Boston’s designated hitter in all 39 games so far this season. He hit his sixth home run of the year on Thursday and is currently batting .255 with 25 RBIs—solid production despite some lingering frustration over how his role was handled.
Still, the star left-handed hitter appeared annoyed that the organization might now be second-guessing their original plan.
“They said I’m hard-headed, but I’ve already made one adjustment,” Devers said. “Now they want me to do it again. I don’t think I can be that flexible anymore. They didn’t keep their word.”
The controversy stems in part from Devers’ defensive struggles at third base. While he’s been one of the league’s most productive hitters since debuting with Boston in 2017—slugging 206 home runs and driving in 663 runs—he also led the American League in errors by a third baseman in each of the past seven seasons. Bregman, by contrast, is coming off a Gold Glove campaign with Houston and was brought in to shore up Boston’s infield defense.
Ultimately, manager Alex Cora decided during spring training to prioritize defense and assign Devers to a full-time DH role, a decision he described as being in the best interest of the team. But now, with injuries testing the team’s depth and front office scrambling for answers, Devers appears determined to hold his ground and stick with the role he was promised.
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