This spring, I have been closely watching the trials and tribulations of the Boston Red Sox’s Rafael Devers. Poor Rafael. He has had a rough start to his 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season. First, the Sox bring in an All-Star, Gold Glove-winning third baseman to dethrone him from his long-standing position. Then they have the gall to ask him to just DH. When the season starts, he gets off to a horrific slump when he can’t even touch the ball.

Then, due to an injury, they are now asking him to be their everyday first baseman. What an injustice. How could Boston do that to a nice guy like Devers? Their lack of respect is beguiling. What’s next? Are they going to ask him to take the mound? As I said, it’s been a rough spring for Rafael Devers,

Devers and the Bregman

As spring training approached, Devers was in a foul mood. There were rampant rumors that the Red Sox were interested in acquiring the Houston Astros’ star third baseman, Alex Bregman. This did not sit well with Rafael because the hot corner was almost exclusively the only position he had ever played in the bigs since coming up with the Red Sox in 2017. He vehemently protested and said he would not give up his starting role at third. All of this despite the fact that he is statistically one of the worst fielding third basemen of all time.

Ever the professional, Bregman came to the Sox saying that he would accept a position change if it would help the team. Devers finally relented his hold on third and moved to the DH role. Bregman put a good face on the relationship and said that he had always admired abilities as a baseball player. The storm around Devers had settled for the moment, but at the beginning of the MLB season, another problem arose for the tormented Rafael.

Started the Season in a Massive Slump

When a calm had settled over the Red Sox locker room, Devers gave Boston another reason for concern. He started the 2025 season in a 0-19 slump, striking out 15 times in the Red Sox’s first five games of the season. Devers finally went 2-for-4 with an RBI double to break his doldrums in a 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on April 2. Rafael received heat during this period, no doubt partially related to his opposition to changing positions. Boston manager Alex Cora offered this advice during his slump.

“We just had a good conversation about that. It’s details that I’ve noticed throughout his career. We can talk about his set-up, we can talk about his hands. But he’s been (adjusting) his hands his whole career — sometimes they’re down, sometimes they’re up, whatever.”

To Devers’ credit, he has come back nicely after his early-season debacle. Starting with that April 2 game, he has hit .286, with six home runs, 25 RBI, and 23 runs scored. He had begun to mend fences inside and out of the clubhouse, and he and Bregman continued to get along and support each other. Everything was going dandy until an injury to another Red Sox player put Rafael in another bad mood.

Casas Injury Lights Rafael’s Fuse

In a game against the Minnesota Twins on May 2, Boston first baseman Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon at first as he was trying to leg out an infield single. Tests revealed that he’d require surgery to repair the tendon, which will sideline him for the remainder of the 2025 MLB season. In Casas’ absence, the Sox have been filling in with a platoon of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro.

After Boston’s 5-0 win over Texas on May 8. Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow approached Devers about filling in for the injured Casas. Devers’ response was direct and sharp in turning down Breslow’s suggestion.

“I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there. In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove. I wasn’t going to play another position other than DH. Right now, I don’t think it would be an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.”

The Red Sox have since backed off on their request to have Devers switch positions. Some in the organization are saying that they would like Rafael to stay at DH and that they will consider other options to fill Casas’ absence. Devers signed a new 11-year contract with Boston in 2021 worth $311 million. I don’t know about you, but at that price, Devers should be a willing participant with any suggestions the organization makes. Perhaps he should use his teammate Bregman’s example of exhibiting flexibility to help a team best meet its needs.