Headlines were made early in Red Sox spring training over the question of who would be the starting third baseman, but those familiar with the organization aren’t overly concerned.
Alex Bregman, a nine-year veteran with the Houston Astros, has established himself as one of the top third basemen in baseball. His versatility, including the ability to play second base, made him seem like a strong fit for Boston. However, Rafael Devers quickly put that speculation to rest by stating he only wanted to play third base and wasn’t keen on the designated hitter role.
Despite Devers’ direct comments, manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow weren’t fazed. His Red Sox teammates also brushed off the so-called drama, as did Bregman. Even franchise legend David Ortiz chimed in on the situation.
“Well, we’ll see how the organization deals with it because, as you know, we have Rafael Devers over there who has been our third baseman for a long time. And then you have another great third baseman like Bregman, and you need to have both of them in the lineup,” Ortiz told NESN’s Tom Caron. “We have a long spring training ahead. Hopefully, the organization and the players get to be on the same page, and the problem gets solved by Opening Day. And the most important thing is that everybody is happy with whatever we’re going to have to deal with moving forward.”
Bregman mostly started at third base in Boston’s Grapefruit League action, but that’s primarily due to Rafael Devers working his way into the lineup. Cora noted nothing was definitive with the Opening Day lineup and those questions likely will be answered until then.
Leave a Reply