The Boston Red Sox still lack an everyday first baseman over a month after Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury. Romy González and Abraham Toro have been decent on defense and reliable at the plate, but the Red Sox need more than that to turn their record around before the trade deadline.
It doesn't seem like Boston is any closer to convincing Rafael Devers to play first base than on the first day it asked him. Still, manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow both attest that conversations with the designated hitter continue. Something is keeping Devers in the DH slot, whether it's not wanting to disrupt his routine, fear of another massive slump like the one he started the season on, or just a lack of desire to play defense.
But the Red Sox's constant shortcomings across the diamond suggest they need to make a change. Former Red Sox and 2004 World Series icon Kevin Millar believes the moves need to start with Devers at first base, and that he shouldn't fear the change.
"If you're embarrassed because you might make a fool of yourself, that's on the organization," Millar said on the June 6 episode of WEEI's "Play Tessie" podcast. "...You play where it helps, that day, for the team, and I think that's the thing that's missing right now. I think it would feel a lot better to the fans, to the media, to the Red Sox if Raffy went in there and played three days of practice and taking ground balls at first and just started figuring it out."
Kevin Millar takes pressure off Rafael Devers, says he doesn't need to be perfect at first base for Red Sox
Millar has been a staunch advocate of Devers moving to first base since Casas' injury, and he's made similar points while co-hosting "Intentional Talk" on MLB Network. He referenced Devers' desire to win and linked it back to his 2024 offseason plea for the front office to sign some free agents.
Devers isn't a strong defender, but moving him to first base could address one of the team's biggest needs — length in the lineup. Millar mentioned that Devers moving to first base would open the DH slot for Masataka Yoshida, who has been one of the Sox's most consistent hitters for two years. Yoshida has slashed .285/.343/.433 in his first two years in Boston with a strikeout percentage well into the 90th percentile in both his seasons. The Red Sox have struck out an unfathomable 174 times with runners in scoring position, and they're desperate for runs after their 17 one-run losses. Moving Devers to first base may be the only way to get Yoshida in the lineup because he's not a good defensive outfielder and Boston still needs a place in the pastures to put Roman Anthony, if it ever decides it's time to call him up.
Millar also took some of the pressure of a potential move off Devers by highlighting that he isn't expected to be perfect in a new position. Casas is one of the more injury-prone players on Boston's roster, and the front office's lack of a backup plan in case he gets injured is not Devers' fault. It is his job to help the team, though.
Devers may not be the best defensive choice at first base, but at a certain point, he has to see that the move may be best for the Red Sox's struggling lineup. There is still time for Devers to learn and excel at first base, but Boston is running out of time to crawl up the American League East standings to be a buyer at the trade deadline, and lengthening their lineup by moving Devers and adding Yoshida could be the best way to do it internally.