The Boston Red Sox and Rafael Devers are in a bit of a predicament.
Thanks to the team’s signing of Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman, the Red Sox’s highest-paid superstar is in danger of losing the position he’s held his entire career. And as he made clear in his first press conference of the season on Monday, he’s not thrilled with that idea.
“No,” Devers said when asked if he would accept the designated hitter role. “I play third base.”
Clearly, there are some decisions to be made in the coming days for manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox. There’s one quote from the presser, though, that is causing far more speculation than it should be. A question that has already been partially debunked back by the reporter who asked it.
As Devers was repeating his unwillingness to move positions, he was asked by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo if he would request a trade in the case that the Red Sox refused to let him play third base.
“That’s a tough answer to give. I haven’t given it much thought,” Devers said. “I’ve been here my entire career. I haven’t asked myself that question. I’m open to listening. I’m not close to those conversations.”
During the fallout from the press conference, Cotillo took ownership of the question amid blowback from fans on social media who believed the question was unfair.
“This was me. I debated asking in real time. My rationale was: “If you’re saying you won’t move, and they want to move you … then what’s the outcome here?” Perhaps I should have left it more open-ended. But I thought his answer was a thoughtful one.”
Cotillo then went on to dispel the idea that a trade was realistic, agreeing with a tweet from popular Red Sox podcaster Jared Carrabis saying that the drama would “blow over” and the team would put the best possible lineup on the field.
“This is truly the only outcome,” Cotillo wrote.
The leap in logic between Devers being upset about potentially having to move off the position he’s held his entire career and requesting–and being granted–a trade by the organization he’s played for since he was 16 is simply too extreme. It’s good internet fodder, but it’s way too unrealistic.
It would be hilariously bad business to trade a player who was given a ten-year extension to be the face of the franchise just two years ago. The team comes first when it comes to making the lineup card, but Cora and his staff will find a way to make things right with Devers.
Odds are, by mid-May, we’ll all have forgotten this was even a controversy. The Red Sox will have to handle a position change for Devers delicately if and when it happens, but eventually, he’ll be back to hitting lasers at Fenway Park and flashing his signature smile.