Former Houston Astros star Alex Bregman was the centerpiece of the Boston Red Sox' offseason, signing for $120 million over three years. The only issue: The Red Sox already had a franchise player at the hot corner.
Rafael Devers has been with Boston since 2017, winning the World Series a year later. He is a three-time All-Star with two Silver Sluggers to his name. One thing he is not is a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman, while Bregman won that award just last year. Bregman has 6.5 career defensive wins above replacement (dWAR) while Devers's career mark is -3.6.
Even so, after the signing, Devers was reluctant to change positions, saying, "Third base is my position. That's what I've played." He added that he was not open to being the team's DH.
Less than a month later, and he's changed his tune.
"We spoke already, and I'm good to do whatever they want me to do," he said, per MLB.com's Ian Browne. "I'm here to help. I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play."
That is good news for the Red Sox as they gear up to contend in the AL East. Devers believes the team is ready for a World Series push.
"They can expect a better year than last year from me," he told Browne. "They can expect a lot from this team overall. I think the fans can expect us to compete for a World Series this year.”
