Almost three weeks ago, the Red Sox made a big splash by signing star third baseman, Alex Bregman. As Red Sox fans know, the seasons since Mookie Betts was traded to the Dodgers have been frustrating for a franchise that had so much success just a few years back. Now, with a stacked farm, the additions to the starting rotation, and this massive signing, it felt like the vibes were flipping in Boston. Instead, a controversy over who would start at third base began when Rafael Devers was asked if the Red Sox wanted Bregman to play third and he responded, “No, I play third.” This may have been media-induced and something the Sox players aren’t upset about, but it’s been the biggest “drama” this Spring Training.
Alex Cora has been asked repeatedly about the third base decision. Yesterday he answered, “We’ll do whatever is best for the Red Sox. Let’s see what happens.” So, let’s look into who makes the most sense at third with the decision still looming.
The case for Alex Bregman
It isn’t too difficult to make the case for Bregman manning the hot corner – he is the better fielder. In 2024, Bregman posted 6 Outs Above Average (OAA) and was 81st percentile in the league in fielding run value. On the flip side, Devers accumulated -5 OAA and was 18st percentile in the league in fielding run value. In his career, Devers has had a total of -28 OAA and 141 errors over 951 games in the field.
Over their careers, Bregman has posted negative fielding run value just once (2018), while Devers only posted positive fielding run value back in 2019. Their defensive metrics are basically reversed, and it doesn’t take too much research to determine who the more talented fielder is.
The case for Rafael Devers
Devers has been clear about wanting to continue to play third base. He took over 3rd base in 2017 and has emerged as the Red Sox leader since then. When the rumors came out about him potentially being moved off 3rd, some teammates showed their support, such as when Triston Casas said, “I think he’s the third baseman and at that point, that’s where it stands.”
Another case for Devers, is that as much as he’s struggled throughout his career, he did put together that extraordinary fielding season in 2019, when he posted 18 OAA. Even though he has struggled lately, the talent is there and he has the support of the locker room to return to form defensively.
How will it end up playing out?
Despite all of Devers’ statements and efforts to remain at third, it appears that the position will be handed to Bregman shortly. With Devers recovering from injury, Bregman has been the third baseman throughout Spring Training and hasn’t even played second base.
Devers does appear to be more open to the change at this point with his mindset more focused on winning: “I think the most important thing is for us to have a good chemistry together. Like I’ve always said since Day 1, the most important thing for me is that we win.” The bottom line is that the Red Sox need to make the best decision to rack up wins and have a chance to win in the postseason. The numbers scream to put Bregman at third and that is what we will inevitably see in 2025.
