Moving Rafael Devers from third base could unlock Red Sox offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Could Rafael Devers start from third base?
Craig Breslow could have dismissed the question by now, but he answered carefully and consistently throughout the fall.
“We haven’t had those conversations,” Breslow said in September. “If these conversations were to happen, they would certainly happen internally before I discuss them here.”
It’s not exactly a denial, and Breslow has since repeated a version of that answer. Maybe now we know why. It sounds like there’s a discussion brewing between player and team that could have major ramifications for the 2025 season.
Both Jon Heyman of the New York Post and Sean McAdam of MassLive recently reported that the Red Sox are open to moving Devers, presumably across the diamond to first base, but possibly also to designated hitter. Despite decent play, Devers has provided subpar defense overall throughout his career.
As the Red Sox assess how to surpass .500 for the first time since 2021, glovework in the field is clearly the top priority, and Devers has contributed to brutal stats.
He just led the American League third basemen in errors for a record-setting straight season, and is the active leader in that ignominious measure with 141. His advanced stats are no better, with negative run values every year except for an outlier in 2019. He scored six runs worse than average last year alone.
The only justification for leaving Devers at third at this point is that he doesn’t want to offend the team’s highest-paid player. Anyone else with his history of defensive mediocrity would have been benched or transferred elsewhere by now, but most players with his defensive resume aren’t making $30 million annually.
If that happens late now, the Red Sox have options.
They are linked to free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who just won his first Gold Glove with the Astros and is also willing to move to second base. According to McAdam, they could consider St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado, a 10-time Gold Glover who is one of the best defensemen of this generation. He would have to be acquired via trade, as his nine-year, $275 million contract runs through 2027. It’s also worth noting that his production has dropped significantly over the past two seasons, but he could still always be a huge defensive upgrade. on Devers, and his right-handed power would balance the lineup.
A third option is free agent shortstop Willy Adames, who has declared his willingness to move to third.
When Devers moves, the dominoes fall. He could handle starting duties and make young slugger Triston Casas available for a trade. However, Breslow understandably doesn’t sound inclined to trade Casas, as the youngster has a 40-home run net worth and has his entire prime ahead of him. That means Devers or Casas could move to DH and make incumbent Masataka Yoshida expendable, even though he still has three years and more than $50 million left on his contract.
Considering how little bang for the buck the Red Sox got on Yoshida – 1.4 WAR per season and an average of 12 home runs and 65 RBIs per year – they might get back to using their financial means to limit their losses. on overpaid, underperforming players.
In other words, Yoshida shouldn’t hinder a Devers move, and his presence certainly shouldn’t contribute to a Casas trade.
Before this discussion can leave the land of the hypothetical, however, the Red Sox will have to talk to Devers about a move. And reading the tea leaves, it certainly sounds like that conversation is coming.
