One of the stories of the Boston Red Sox's offseason was Rafael Devers' position change from third base to designated hitter.
Just over a month after his tenure at DH began, Devers has been thrust into the spotlight again. Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury has reporters and fans alike speculating about a potential move to first base for Devers.
He doesn't seem so inclined to change positions again, though. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported after the Sox's loss to the Twins on May 4 that Devers has declined multiple interviews with Boston media after Casas' injury.
There could be multiple reasons for his silence, the likeliest among them being that he doesn't want to discuss another position change after his previous one dominated the conversation in spring training. Devers has always been on the more reserved side when it comes to media appearances. He prefers to play without the attention that comes with the "face of the franchise" label, but was openly reluctant to move off third base after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman. He was also honest about the state of the 2024 team during spring training, saying it could've used more help off the free agent market.
Rafael Devers has declined interviews with Red Sox media in wake of Triston Casas injury, vacancy at first base
Devers caught a lot a of heat from fans during his initial move off third base. Bregman is now Boston's best defender at the hot corner, and Devers had to hear a lot about it this winter — he's led MLB in errors in five of his seven seasons at third base, and led the American League the other two years.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has already clarified that the team has no intention of using Devers at first base.
“We asked him to do something in spring training. In the beginning, he didn’t agree with it. Now, he’s very comfortable doing what he’s doing. Like I told you guys in spring training, he’s my DH," Cora said, reported by Cotillo on May 3.
Devers has certainly looked comfortable as Boston's DH recently. He's batting .387/.441/.677 in his last seven games and is growing more consistent at the plate as the season wears on. Asking him to change positions again could disrupt his routine and throw his offense off balance, which is the last thing the Sox need after consecutive series losses to the Blue Jays and Twins.
Devers can't avoid Red Sox media forever, and fans may eventually get an explanation for why he doesn't want to discuss a potential move to first base. For now, though, the Red Sox have no plans to use him there, and a statement from him probably won't change that.