Most baseball followers and pundits agree that the Boston Crimson Sox did well to reel in All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency this previous winter.
However a minimum of one Crimson Sox participant has been lower than thrilled, and it is exhibiting.
Rafael Devers, Boston’s franchise third baseman, doesn’t seem like having fun with the Bregman expertise. The most recent reviews out of spring coaching point out that Devers was displeased sufficient with the signing at one level that he considered requesting a trade out of Boston.
Whereas it is unknown whether or not the request was truly made, what seems clear are Devers’ true colours. When you recall, the 28-year-old was initially hesitant to change into the Crimson Sox’s designated hitter when Bregman signed, which meant the latter would’ve played second base regardless of taking part in almost all of his skilled profession at third base.
Now, after all, Devers is reportedly on board with becoming the Boston’s designated hitter in 2025. Profitable could be a contagious feeling.
It is actually Devers’ prerogative to face his floor, although. In any case, he is the one homegrown Crimson Sox star remaining from that 2018 World Sequence championship crew, with Mookie Betts in Los Angeles and Xander Bogaerts in San Diego. Boston rewarded Devers as such with a 10-year, $313.5M extension earlier than the 2023 season. That is about as a lot leverage as one can have.
Nonetheless, it is also vital to keep in mind that the Crimson Sox have been primarily pressured to retain Devers due to fan outrage within the years following the Dodgers’ acquisition of Betts in 2020 and after letting Bogaerts stroll in free company (which admittedly seems like a greater resolution today). Plus, the previous stays one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history, let alone just in Red Sox lore.
Maybe Devers’ angle will take a flip for the higher as soon as the crew produces outcomes on the sector. Boston hasn’t made the playoffs since 2021 once they took Bregman’s Houston Astros to 6 video games in that season’s American League Championship Sequence.
Now, Devers and Bregman could have an opportunity to guide the Crimson Sox again to glory collectively in 2025. Maybe, for Boston’s sake, this would be the finish of any drama surrounding its superstars.
