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Rafael Devers had a tense spring training.
During the exhibition period, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Devers appeared to be at odds about whether he would spend time on the baseball diamond covering third base.
Shortly before Opening Day, Cora confirmed Devers would handle the team’s designated hitter duties on a full-time basis. However, when Boston’s primary first baseman Triston Casas suffered a serious injury, it prompted another proposal from the Red Sox brass.
Former Red Sox pitcher and the franchise’s current chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, brought up the idea of Devers covering first base in the future, the New York Post reported. However, the three-time MLB All-Star reportedly shut down the idea.
During his public rebuttal of the potential position change, Devers cited the Red Sox’ previous instructions related to him using his glove.
“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 via a translator, per the Boston Globe. “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.”
Devers suggested a question concerning a position switch was effectively inappropriate. “So right now, I just feel like it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position,” he added.
Devers then questioned whether Breslow, the baseball pitcher-turned team executive, had some level of discontent towards him. “I’m not certain what [issue] he has with me,” Devers told reporters. “He played ball, and I would like to think that he knows that changing positions like that isn’t easy.”
Nevertheless, Devers made it clear he has strong relationships with his Red Sox teammates before hinting that good will did not necessarily extend to others across the organization.
“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,” he said on Thursday.
Casas, who spent his past four big league seasons at first base, is expected to miss the remainder of the year with a knee injury.
Devers also suggested the Red Sox front office should utilize the free agent market in their search for a solution at first base. “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,” he said via MassLive.com.
Devers inked a contract with the Red Sox worth $313.5 million in January 2023, ESPN reported. He finished last season with 28 home runs. The 28-year-old has hit six home runs in 39 games so far this season.
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