Earlier this week, Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers raised eyebrows when he let it be known that he declined the team’s request to accommodate new free-agent signing Alex Bregman by relocating from the hot corner to designated hitter. (“I told them no. I’m a third baseman,” he said.) The Red Sox have not yet clarified how they’ll deploy Devers and Bregman when the season begins for them on March 27 against the Texas Rangers. Bregman, though, has now made it known that he’s willing to play wherever in order to help his new club achieve its competitive upside.
“I think everybody here believes in their abilities,” Bregman told MLB.com. “I think all of us believe that if we all put together a good effort this season, we have a really good chance of being a winning baseball team. For me, I can only talk for myself, I’ll play wherever it helps the team win.”
Bregman, who has reliably graded as a better defender than Devers, has not played a position other than third base since 2019.
Snyder’s Soapbox: Red Sox debacle with Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman finds blame with (almost) all parties
Matt Snyder
On paper, he would appear to have the athleticism to successfully transition to second base. While that seems like an easy enough fix, the catch is that the Red Sox also employ Kristian Campbell, one of the game’s top second base prospects. Under MLB’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Red Sox are incentivized to have Campbell start the year in the majors — they could gain draft-pick compensation if he were to enjoy great individual success.
Having more talented players than spots is never a bad thing. Even in this case, the Red Sox could find a compromise that allows them to carry and deploy Devers, Bregman, and Campbell all at once and all without issue. Still, reaching that point may require weathering some present headaches.
