The Boston Red Sox's start to spring training isn't exactly going according to plan. New stars Walker Buehler, Garrett Crochet, and Alex Bregman have worked out for the first time with Boston, but they haven't dominated the headlines.
Multiple-time All-Star Rafael Devers has grabbed the attention of the media after bluntly telling them "No" in response to a question about him moving positions to accommodate Bregman at the hot corner. It's not the best way to get the chemistry clicking, but Bregman managed to downplay Devers' response a bit. Good call by him.
“I think everybody here believes in their abilities and I think all of us here believe if we all put together a good effort this season, we have a really good chance of being a winning baseball team,” Bregman said. “For me, I can only talk for myself, but I’ll play wherever helps the team win.”
Bregman is coming off a 2024 season when he was named the AL Gold Glove Award winner at third base after he posted a 1.0 defensive bWAR for the second straight season. Devers, on the other hand, has never registered a positive defensive bWAR in his career, logging 951 career games at third base.
Alex Bregman responds to Rafael Devers' comments in attempt to downplay Red Sox drama
Despite Bregman clearly being the stronger defender at third, he still said he'll play wherever Alex Cora decides to slot him. This obviously makes a strong first impression on the team, but having that team-first mentality is crucial for the Red Sox. They're looking to contend in the AL East, and possibly compete as one of the two best clubs in the American League.
Devers' remarks are already putting a wedge between the team, and some players are taking sides. Triston Casas is backing Devers, which is great to see a teammate doing so, but making that public could further divide the locker room. To Devers' credit, though, he came into the spring not knowing there was a chance that he would be moved. Understandably, this stings Devers, but his comments will more than likely come back to hurt him.
Ideally, Boston fans would love for Devers and Bregman to coexist. In 2024, they were second and third among AL third basemen with 28 and 26 home runs, respectively, as well as 34 and 30 doubles. It shouldn't matter where they end up playing defensively if it means winning games. Hopefully, Devers can put this behind him as the Red Sox embark on a season with lofty goals.