Is everything right with the Red Sox? The team, that created a stir by landing Alex Bregman, was deemed to field a contending squad this season. Well, nothing like that happened, and the Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s confusing stance on who will play at 3B is making things worse. While it was guaranteed that Rafael Devers would continue to play at 3B for the Red Sox and Bregman would take from 2B, things are shuffled now. 

Well, Rafael Devers made it very clear about his unwillingness to move to DH. Cora’s unclear stance on Devers’ position thus surely made bad blood in the team. It seems like a battle for 3B is going on in the team, and all that is happening between Devers and Cora. So, why is Cora skeptical about letting Devers play at 3B? Will the team ultimately go with Devers and Bregman at 3B and 2B, respectively? 

Rafael Devers is batting out for 3B

In 2024, Rafael Devers of the Red Sox had a batting average of .272, 28 homers, 83 RBIs, and 87 runs scored in 138 games. On the other hand, Bregman had 26 HRs, 75 RBI, and 79 runs scored. Hence, both offered a similar set of performances last year. So, who should get the 3B position for the team this year? It is Devers’ struggling defense that made the talks here. Devers led American League third basemen in errors for the seventh year in a row. This might have made Cora say, “No decisions have been made,” as to who will play at 3B.

Will Rafael Devers accept his positional change? Seemingly not, and reportedly he did share his frustration with Cora. “He’s someone I respect a lot. He’s not an enemy of mine. I have the discipline necessary that if I’m not feeling right, I can talk to Alex and communicate that. This is a team and we have one goal,” said Devers on being asked about his bad blood with Cora. Well, it seems the team has a situation to solve and not a problem. Last year, Bregman led AL third basemen in fielding percentage, assists, total chances, and putouts, making a strong case for 3B. Hence, a good battle is going on for 3B in the Red Sox.

A long list of probable options 

Devers at 3B and Bregman at 2B is the best combination the Red Sox can have. However, Devers’ form is all that matters. However, as per the latest updates, Rafael Devers is all set to play at 3B. “We’re preparing Raffy to play third base,” said Cora over his probable 3B choice. This also makes the case for Bregman to get into 2B but face competition from David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom, and prospect Kristian Campbell. The next combination—putting Devers to DH and letting Bregman get at 3B.

Rafael Devers’ BA of .279 fits him perfectly as a DH, and also his defense struggle can be avoided. This combination will let Cora leverage the hitting abilities of Devers while gaining reliability at 3B in the form of Bregman. Although more value it seems, Devers is not moving to DH, and thus putting him at 3B is the only way forward. In another way, Bregman can opt out of his contract after the 2025 and 2026 World Series, as per his contract. Hence, Cora might be skeptical about having Devers switch positions because he might need to switch back in a year, considering Bregman is leaving. 

Until now, no concrete information is available about who is going to play at 3B for the Red Sox. A good challenge for Alex Cora to decide the best combination for the team. What do you think about the unwillingness of Devers to play at 3B? Share your thoughts with us below.