When the Boston Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract last month, a small problem turned into a bigger one: Rafael Devers was already the team's third baseman, and he didn't want to move off the hot corner.
"My position is third base," he initially told reporters following the Bregman deal. "I don't know how they want to go about it or what they want to do, but I know that's the position I get ready to play every day."
Devers has since pulled back from his once strong stance, saying that he's "good to do with whatever they want me to do," and now—Alex Cora has made a decision on where both he and Bregman will slot into the Red Sox's lineup:
"Alex [Bregman] is gonna play third, Raffy [Devers] is gonna DH," said Cora on WEEI Sports Radio's WEEI Afternoons on Wednesday. "We all are in the winning business, and he understands that."
Red Sox manager Alex Cora on the DH position:
— WEEI Afternoons (@WEEIAfternoons) March 26, 2025
"(Devers) was very vocal about how he felt, and we made a decision. Alex is going to play third, and Raffy is going to DH. pic.twitter.com/tEuS6WQwiJ
"It's like everything, he continued. "You don't have to agree with it, but at the end of the day, what we're gonna do [is] go out there and perform every single day. He's been worknig hard, not only with his swing, but the routine. Of course it's a little bit different ... but you know what? Every DH used to be a position player until they were DH's, right? ... The kid is ready to go."
Now that third base saga is over, Boston can focus on the task at hand: opening day. The Red Sox begin their 2025 season on Thursday in Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. EST from Globe Life Field.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alex Cora Announces Where Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman Will Play for Red Sox in 2025.
