Gaining stardom at a young age? That’s every athlete’s dream. But when the spotlight comes not for achievements, but for controversy? That’s a whole different ballgame. Enter Rafael Devers—star third baseman and a key figure for the Red Sox (at least for now). The 29-year-old has found himself in hot water, not because of a jaw-dropping play, but due to his reported reluctance to meet team demands. And let’s just say, things aren’t looking too smooth between him and the front office.

The roots of the controversy date back to 2023, when Devers signed an 11-year extension for $331M with the Boston Red Sox. Assumingly, Devers would have thought that the extension was coming with an understanding that he would remain the third baseman for a long time. However, it did not go as planned. Does Big Papi need to intervene, asks veteran Eduardo Perez? Because the two go way back to their playing days together and David Ortiz is a Boston legend in every sense.

With the addition of newly signed Alex Bregman to the team, Devers was reportedly asked to switch his position as the designated hitter, which he reportedly refused. Now, sharing his take on the entire chaos is none other than Perez.

Speaking about the entire turmoil that the Boston Red Sox is facing, Perez said, “This is not the way you want to be able to start off a big league camp with your “best player.” I am not on board, with what the organization wants and the team wants him to do.”

Continuing further, he highlighted that he did not like the gesture in which Devers put his stand. “I just did not like the body language that he was making, like, ‘Are they serious? Are they really thinking that my eight percentile range and my arm strength of 48 percentile is not good enough to be a championship team in third base?’ You have already sealed your deal as far as economically, so it’s not gonna hinder what you are gonna get on the pay-cheque if you go to the edge position. That’s gonna make the team better,” Perez said. 

But that was not it. Perez also claimed that this is a situation where even legendary David Ortiz might step in to resolve the situation. “I have a feeling Big Papi is gonna get involved in this too. We’re going to see more voices maybe behind the scenes get involved with this. But right now, it is not a great start,” he added. For the unversed, the imbalance in the team and the feud between Devers and the team started to come to light ever since the 29YO conducted a press conference and confirmed his stance on the scenario. 

Devers repeatedly clarified on Monday that he would not serve as the team’s designated hitter or even play first base. He believes third base is the ideal position for him. “They asked me a question how I feel about DH,” Devers said through a translator. “And I gave them the answer I just gave, no.” But if you think this is all about the ongoing drama, just hold on! Even team manager Alex Cora has entered the fray and has shared a unique take on the entire situation. 

Alex Cora blames ‘different people’ for Rafael Devers’ anguish

Alex Cora and Craig Breslow, two of the faces of Boston’s front office, reportedly met with Devers last Friday to discuss a possible position change. However, with the third baseman reluctant to agree to any changes, it appears that Cora is pinning the blame on “different people” for the entire chaos. 

When Devers signed an extension with the team, the front office was led by baseball icon Chaim Bloom. However, with Bloom’s departure from the team and the change of management, Breslow and Cora seemingly do not wish to honor past commitments which is creating a feud within the team. When quizzed about honoring the previous commitment, Cora shared a clear stance and said, “Different people here, right? There’s a different leader here. Chaim (Bloom) is in St. Louis now.”

Now, with more people stepping in to opine on the entire chaos, it will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds. Will the Red Sox and David Ortiz be able to bring back the team together? Well, that remains to be seen.