The Boston Red Sox have been linked to plenty of stars on the free agent market, from pitchers to bats.
After their failed pursuit of Juan Soto, rumors surfaced that the Sox immediately pivoted to prioritize third baseman and longtime Astro Alex Bregman. Boston's mostly left-handed lineup could use a gritty righty bat like Bregman to balance out the order.
However, Bregman is expected to be quite pricey and possibly out of the Red Sox's comfort zone. They also already have an expensive everyday third baseman in Rafael Devers, but he's such a defensive liability that many reporters and experts have suggested Boston move him to first base or designated hitter full-time. That change would give the Sox the perfect opportunity to add Bregman into the mix.
Devers would likely be reluctant to accept such a move, though, as he's happy playing third base. It would also throw Triston Casas' future as the team's first baseman into question. Recent comments from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow suggest the Red Sox may be unwilling to take that risk.
Craig Breslow doubles down on Rafael Devers being Red Sox's third baseman in 2025
"Rafael Devers is our third baseman, and we're really excited about that."
— Jones & Keefe (@JonesandKeefe) December 12, 2024
Craig Breslow makes it clear Devers won’t be playing anywhere defensively other than third base. pic.twitter.com/GUdZ76xzMe
"Rafael Devers is our third baseman and we're really excited about that," Breslow said during an interview on WEEI on Dec. 12.
Breslow may be the most excited, though. Rumors surfaced that the Red Sox front office was divided on its pursuit of Bregman as a potential infield option — his former manager Alex Cora and Boston's CEO Sam Kennedy are quite high on him, while Breslow is more hesitant to bring the veteran in.
In MLB insider Ken Rosenthal's Winter Meetings notes for The Athletic, he reported that Bregman "does not seem to be a priority" for Boston as of Dec. 11. Breslow's latest comments and the Red Sox's interest in Bregman dying down seem to point to Devers remaining the team's third baseman for 2025.