FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox’s third baseman Rafael Devers said he won’t move to DH if the Red Sox asked him several times during media availability on Monday.
Even when the team was asked if he would insist he would move there, Devers replied “No.”
On Wednesday, the Red Sox signed a three-year, $120 million contract with Gold Glove’s three-base Alex Bregman.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora have yet to decide whether Bregman will play 2 bases or 3 bases. Sources told MassLive that they would like to see first whether Christian Campbell is claiming to win the first day roster in spring training.
If Campbell had made a team, he could start with 2 bases and Bregman could move to the third base hand, DH.
“I play 3 bases,” Devers said through translator Daveson Perez.
Cora and Breslow met with Devers on Friday to discuss all possible scenarios, including the possibility that he is DH.
Kora tells Devels that he and Breslow told him, “I’m a three-base player.”
“He was going to say that,” Cora said. “That’s why I wasn’t surprised.”
Cora spoke to the media about 10 minutes after Devers’ press conference ended. He said he and Dever had a “great relationship.”
“We’ll see decisions being made here about building the roster and what to do in the future,” Kora said. “We make sure we have the best team possible. He has a lot of pride. We know that. He feels like he’s a 3 base player. He’s third I’m going to exercise as a baseman and make a decision accordingly. But I don’t think it’s about Bregman, Diver or Cola. It’s about the Red Sox. Whatever we do , for the benefit of the team.”
Kora said he would continue his conversation with Devers. He added that it’s too early for Devers and Bregman to know where they’ll play in opening day.
“There’s competition here, and I think flexibility and versatility are huge for us,” Kora said. “There’s someone who’s talented and we’ll take the best roster to go to Texas. There’ll be competitions.”
Kora hasn’t seen Deverse’s entire media session, but when she saw it she said, “seeing the look.” So, when asked if he was disappointed, Kora did not comment.
Devers said that when the Red Sox signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension in January 2023, he promised he would become his third baseman for a long time.
“It was definitely something that was discussed when I signed it, and it was that I would play this position for a long time,” Devers said. “I don’t know what caused the change. But I know I’ve worked so hard in my defense over the years. Last year I had a really good year. I still have a lot more. But I definitely feel really good last year.”
Devers said it was “a definite surprise” when Red Sox met him about Dh’ing.
“I’m someone who believes people say,” Devers said. “I keep that in mind, and it was very surprising that they proposed it.”
Kora said Chime Bloom was the lead baseball officer when both parties agreed to the contract.
“There’s someone different here, right?” Kora said. “We have another leader here. Chime is in St. Louis now.”
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