BOSTON — Manager Alex Cora has said in recent days that the Red Sox do not plan to have a conversation with DH Rafael Devers about potentially moving to first base.
Come to find out, a conversation already happened.
Devers said here Thursday that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow did approach him about it following Triston Casas’ season-ending injury. Casas ruptured his patellar tendon last Friday and underwent surgery Sunday.
“They had the conversation with me,” Devers said through translator Daveson Perez after the Red Sox’ 5-0 win over the Rangers on Thursday. “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.”
Devers initially was upset that the Red Sox asked him to move from third base to DH after signing Alex Bregman. Devers repeatedly said he was unwilling to move to DH during a media availability Feb. 17. According to sources, Devers was angry enough about the situation to consider asking for a trade.
But Devers eventually agreed to do what the Red Sox asked him to do.
The 28-year-old started the 2025 regular season off slow, going 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts in his first five games. He’s now batting .255 with a .379 on-base percentage, .455 slugging percentage, .834 OPS, six home runs, 11 doubles, 25 RBIs, 23 runs, 29 walks and 46 strikeouts in 39 games (177 plate appearances).
“I know I’m a ballplayer but at the same time they can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” Devers said. “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.”
He said the Red Sox “put me in this situation.”
“They told me that they didn’t want to allow me to play any other position,” Devers said. “And now I think they should do their job essentially and hit the market and look for another player (to play first base). I’m not sure why they want me to be in between, the way they have me now.”
Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro have split time at first base since Casas’ injury.
Devers said “no” when asked if there’s a chance he will change his mind.
“I don’t think so,” Devers said. “They told me I’m a little hard-headed. They already asked me to change once and this time I don’t think I can be as flexible.”
Asked if he was upset the Red Sox approached him about first base, he replied, “Yeah. I don’t think they stay true to their word. 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.”
Devers also was asked if his relationship with the Red Sox is OK.
“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.”
