While Rafael Devers‘ position change shouldn’t be a shock, it seems unprecedented.
On Wednesday, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed Devers will move to designated hitter and Alex Bregman will replace him at third base.
“Alex is going to play third. Raffy is going to DH,” Cora said, via Ken Laird of WEEI-FM in Boston. “We all are in the winning business. He understands that.”
Moving Devers to DH may help the Red Sox win more games. Although he has won two Silver Sluggers, the 28-year-old could be considered a defensive liability. In eight seasons with Boston, Devers has committed 141 errors.
Bregman, meanwhile, won a Gold Glove in his final season with the Houston Astros in 2024. Still, elite players like Devers typically don’t move to DH until they’re in their early 30s.
“Edgar Martinez, the Hall of Famer for whom the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award is named, didn’t become a full-time DH until he was 32,” wrote The Athletic’s Chad Jennings in a story published Wednesday. “Frank Thomas didn’t move primarily to DH until he was 30, and even at 31 he was still playing a third of his games at third base.”
The move to DH can also be a tricky one. Jennings noted the Minnesota Twins had center fielder Byron Buxton play DH during the 2023 season to help him deal with knee problems. In 85 regular-season games, he recorded the second-lowest batting average (.207) of his 10-year career.
In 2024, he moved back to the outfield. In 102 regular-season games, his batting average improved to .279, the second-best mark of his career.
That may be why Devers was adamant about staying at third base.
“No, third base is my position,” Devers told the media on Feb. 17. “It’s what I play. I don’t know what their plans are. We had a conversation. I made it clear what my desires were. Whatever happens from here, I don’t know.”
But if the rare move works, it would make the Red Sox look brilliant. Boston faces the Texas Rangers on the road at 4:05 p.m. ET on Opening Day on Thursday.
