Red Sox
“I don’t understand some of the decisions that the GM makes. Next thing you know someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield.”
A season that initially opened with so much promise for the Red Sox will end up with Rafael Devers golfing pitches into McCovey Cove for the foreseeable future.
In a shocking move, the Red Sox traded their superstar slugger Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday in exchange for four players.
Even though Boston reportedly has the entirety of Devers’ remaining $254 million contract coming off the books, that added fiscal flexibility in the coming years won’t assuage a fanbase steaming over the loss of another franchise fixture — especially on a team that was seemingly poised to win now and in the years ahead.
But as surprising as Devers’ exit might be, Sunday was the final development in a season rife with drama and tension between both Devers and the Red Sox — with the relationship forged between both parties strained since spring training due to Devers’ spot on the field.
Here’s a summary of all that transpired between the Red Sox and the former face of their franchise over the last few months.
February 17, 2025: Bregman’s arrival leads to pushback
On paper, the Red Sox’s decision to sign Alex Bregman in February was a move that checked off multiple boxes for a Boston roster looking to take a major step forward in 2025.
Not only was Bregman’s arrival expected to give Boston a right-handed power bat with a championship pedigree — but slotting a Gold Glove winner over at third was going to improve the team’s porous defense.
Despite Devers’ production at the plate, his defense had left a lot to be desired over the years — as he led the AL in errors at third every single season since 2018. Even though his 12 errors in 2024 were his fewest since debuting in 2017, Devers still finished the year with a negative-6 Outs Above Average. Bregman finished with a plus-6 Outs Above Average in 2024 with the Astros.
But even though slotting in Bregman at third and shifting Devers to DH would seemingly keep Devers healthy and improve Boston’s defense, Devers’ first media sit down during spring training centered around him bristling at the notion of moving off third base.
“Third base is my position,” Devers told reporters in Fort Myers. “It’s what I’ve played. I don’t know what their plans are. I know we had a conversation. I made it clear, kind of what my desires were and whatever happens from here, I don’t know.”
“They asked me the question about how I feel about DH and, yeah, I gave them the answer I just gave: No,” Devers later said, adding that it was a “surprise” to be asked to DH if the scenario played out. “I’m someone that I believe in people’s word, and I take it to heart and yeah, it was very surprising that they would suggest that.”
When the Red Sox initially signed Devers to a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension in January 2023, Chaim Bloom was the Red Sox’s top executive — not current chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
“Different people here. There is a different leader here. Chaim is in St. Louis now,” Alex Cora said in reference to any guarantees being made about Devers’ position back in January 2023.
February 25, 2025: Devers says he’s “not frustrated,” but wants to remain at 3B
A week after Devers’ initial comments set off what ended up being a season-defining storyline in Boston, Devers noted that he was not frustrated with the Red Sox organization.
“I feel like I said everything I needed to say that day,“ Devers said. ”I still feel the same way. I’m not frustrated. I don’t have the need to be frustrated about anything with anybody … My family is good.
“My kids are good. I have no reason to be frustrated about anything. I don’t listen to what’s said. I don’t pay attention to what is said. I just know what I’m capable of. I’m happy being this way.”
At that point in spring, Cora and the Red Sox had not officially committed to moving Devers off third. But even with Devers’ initial candid comments, he didn’t understand why they caused such a media firestorm.
“I really don’t know why this is becoming such a big story,” Devers said. “We’re a team and we communicate with each other. I think the most important thing is us to have good chemistry together. Like I’ve always said since Day 1, the most important thing for me is that we win. That’s where I stand.”
March 13, 2025: Devers changes his tune about 3B
Weeks after pushing back about moving off third base, Devers changed his sentiment midway through spring training.
“We spoke already, and I’m good to do whatever they want me to do,” Devers said. “I’m here to help. I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play.”
“I just want to help the team win,” Devers added in a conversation with The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. “Whatever position I’m playing, I always take these things as a competition and a way to get better. That’s just how I see it. I’m just ready to help the team win.”
March 27-29, 2025: Devers entrenched as Red Sox’ full-time DH
With the 2025 Red Sox season about to get underway in Texas, Cora made things official on WEEI when asked about Devers’ position moving forward with Boston.
“We had conversations throughout spring training and he was very vocal about how he felt and we made a decision. Alex is going to play third. Raffy is going to DH,” Cora said during his weekly appearance on “WEEI Afternoons.” “We all are in the winning business and he understands that. It’s like everything. You don’t have to agree with it. … He’s been working hard not only with his swing but the routine. Of course it’s a little bit different.”
The next day, Cora also shut down talk of working Devers into reps at third base in more of a reserve role — such as during off days for Bregman.
“He’s the DH of the Boston Red Sox,” Cora told reporters of Devers’ spot on the team.
Even as Devers struggled through the first few weeks of the 2025 season, the Red Sox slugger was seemingly ready to move on from his switch off third base and the drama drawn out of spring training.
“I think that’s in the past,” Devers told reporters on March 29. “That was in spring training. Right now, we’re in the season. I’m a DH. I feel like you guys need to change the subject because that is over and I’m the DH.”
May 3, 2025: Casas’ injury leads to more tension
After over a month with little to no drama regarding Devers’ spot on the team, questions arose once again after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee while running to first base.
With the slugging first baseman out of the equation, the Red Sox seemingly had a potential in-house option in place with Devers — even if the longtime third baseman had never played the position at the big-league level.
Shortly after Casas’ injury, Breslow kept the door open when asked if the Red Sox would consider asking Devers to move back to the infield — albeit at first.
“I think we’re all still trying to figure out what the longterm solution looks like,” Breslow said in response to one question about Devers possibly playing first base. “At this point, we’re still pretty focused on Triston getting everything he needs and focused on taking care of him.”
Cora, on the other hand, pushed back against talk of putting Devers back into the infield after months of drama regarding his move to DH.
“From my end right now? No,” Cora told reporters. “We asked him [to become the DH] in spring training. In the beginning, he didn’t agree with it and now he’s very comfortable doing what he’s doing. … “We’ll talk and we’ll see where we’re at. But I think Romy [Gonzalez] and [Abraham] Toro, they can do the job. I truly believe that, so we’re gonna roll with them.”
May 5-6, 2025: Cora flip-flops on Devers’ future as a 1B
A day after Cora pushed back against Breslow’s comments about opening the door for Devers to play first, Boston’s manager once again held firm about refusing to ask his top hitter to change positions for the second time this season.
“No,” Cora said when asked if he had approached Devers about playing first.
As for if the Red Sox intend to eventually broach the subject to Devers?
“No,” Cora added.
But the following day, Cora noted on WEEI that the Red Sox would eventually broach the subject with Devers.
“Right now with him, he’s very comfortable with his role, right?” Cora said. “And we asked him to do something in spring training that as you guys know, he didn’t agree [with] in the beginning. And then little by little, he has embraced it because he knows the quality of the player that we have at third base [and] where we’re at as a team.
“I always say that time is our best friend in situations like this. And you know, there’s two reasons. Like, Triston got hurt Saturday, and we got some capable players. Romy is having a good season. Toro, you saw him yesterday — he put some good at bats.
“So I’m not saying we’ll never have that conversation, but I think for now, where we’re at, I like Raffy as a DH. I like him as I make my DH. You take away the first weekend of the season, he’s been one of the best hitters in the big leagues, and he’s doing an outstanding job.”
May 8, 2025: Devers calls out front office, Breslow
Despite Cora’s comments that the Red Sox might eventually approach Devers about playing first, Devers provided a clear answer on May 8 while speaking to the media.
Speaking after a 5-0 win over the Rangers at Fenway Park, Devers said he had no intention of moving over to first base to fill in for Casas.
“They had the conversation with me,” Devers said through translator Daveson Perez. “I don’t think for me personally it’s the best decision after they asked me to play a different position and I only have two months of playing this position. To all of a sudden have me try to play another position … from my end, it doesn’t seem like a good decision.”
“I know I’m a ballplayer but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” Devers added. “In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove — that I wasn’t going to play any other position but DH. So right now, I just feel like it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.”
In particular, Devers directed his frustration toward Breslow and the rest of Boston’s front office for asking him to switch positions once again after all of the drama drawn from spring training.
“Yeah. I don’t think they stay true to their word,” Devers said. “They told me I was going to be playing this position, DH. And now they are going back on that. So yeah, I don’t think they stay true to their word.”
Even though Devers said that he had no issues with the rest of his teammates, that same feeling didn’t carry over to the likes of the Red Sox’s management team.
“Here in the clubhouse thankfully the relationship that I have with my teammates is great,” Devers said. “I don’t understand some of the decisions that the GM makes. Next thing you know someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield. I think I know the kind of player I am. And yeah, that’s just where I stand.”
May 9, 2025: Henry and Co. fly to Kansas City to meet with Devers
Just a day after Devers’ blunt comments, team owner John Henry, team president Sam Kennedy, Breslow, and Cora all met with Devers in person before Boston’s three-game series against the Royals in Kansas City. Henry, Kennedy, and Breslow flew out for the conversation.
“It was a chance for an honest, candid exchange,” Breslow said of the conversation with Devers. “There was some misunderstanding on the communication or an opportunity to provide more clear communication. Hopefully that was a step in the right direction here today.”
“It was a good conversation. He expressed his feelings. John did the same thing,” Cora added. “I think the most important thing here is we’re trying to accomplish something big here. Obviously, there’s changes in the roster, situations that happen. You have to adjust.”
Devers did not address reporters in Kansas City following the sitdown, but he let his bat do the talking during that three-game set against the Royals. He batted .583 in that three-game series with a double, home run, and six RBI.
May 10-June 14, 2025: Status quo
More spots in Boston’s infield opened up over the following weeks after the Kansas City meeting, with Bregman landing on the IL due to a quad injury. But even with Devers’ former spot on the infield up for grabs, Devers remained at DH for the rest of his tenure with the Red Sox.
“Though manager Alex Cora has publicly left the door open for Devers to eventually start getting reps at first base this summer, privately, team officials remain very pessimistic about the chances of Devers taking the field at either corner,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam reported on May 30. “This week, one official expressed with some certitude that the experiment would not be happening.”
“Unlike (Kristian) Campbell, Devers has not taken a single rep at first base during pregame work this season. In recent weeks, he has not been seen taking grounders at third base as he was earlier in the season.”
Devers was spotted fielding grounders before games over the last week, but Cora dismissed any talk of it being a signal of the team working him back into the infield.
“Part of his conditioning program,” Cora joked before later adding: “We talk, but he’s my DH. Let’s leave it at that.”
Even with Cora once again shutting down talk of moving Devers back to the infield, Kennedy stressed during the previous week on NESN that the Red Sox were not officially moving on from talking of moving Devers off DH if needed.
“We know that when the time is right and we need him, he’ll be there,” Kennedy told NESN’s Tom Caron on June 11.
June 15, 2025: Devers is traded to San Francisco
Devers was once again as advertised in his final game with the Red Sox — lifting a solo shot into the first ledge of the Green Monster to help Boston sweep the Yankees via a 2-0 win at Fenway Park.
It looked as though a Red Sox season rife with drama and underwhelming returns was starting to turn a corner — with Sunday’s win giving Boston five wins in a row, and seven victories in its last eight contests.
Speaking to reporters postgame, Devers took an optimistic tone about the state of the ballclub.
“We’re playing good baseball and even more when the young kids are here and learning how to play winning baseball,” Devers said. “That’s very good for us.”
In the final question posed to him during the media scrum, Devers was asked if the drama from earlier this season was still lingering over him.
“That has passed,” Devers said.
Less than two hours later, the Red Sox were bound for a plane to Seattle — and Devers was back in Boston to gather his things before joining his new teammates in San Francisco.
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