Rafael Devers was all smiles at his introductory press conference with the San Francisco Giants. He was asked a simple question — “Are you open to playing first base?” And without missing a beat, he says yeah, he’s ready to play wherever they want him to play. Boom. Just like that, a bomb drops back in Boston. That wasn’t the Rafael Devers Red Sox fans knew this spring.
The Missed Opportunity at Boston Red Sox
Let’s rewind a few months. The Red Sox were scrambling. Triston Casas goes down with a season-ending injury, and naturally, the question comes up — would Devers move to first base to help patch things up? Devers shut that down fast, saying it “wasn’t the best decision” for him to switch positions. It wasn’t a one-time thing either. Even earlier in the spring, when Alex Bregman arrived on a $120 million deal, and Devers was asked to move off third base, he dug in his heels. Sure, he eventually gave in and slotted in as the DH, but first base? Not happening.
Now suddenly, less than 48 hours after a blockbuster trade ships him and his monster 10-year, $313.5 million contract to San Francisco, he’s singing a different tune? It’s a dramatic pivot — and Red Sox Nation is left feeling like they just got hit with a high-and-tight fastball.
Numbers Don’t Lie: Boston’s First Base Problem
And it’s not just about emotions here. This change of heart has real implications. Devers was tearing it up at DH, helping Boston reach second in MLB in Wins Above Average at the position. Bregman, when healthy, has been elite at third base. But first base? That’s been a black hole — a brutal minus-1.1 WAA that’s dragged the team down to 22nd in the league.
Meanwhile, Devers could’ve been the plug in that hole — a defensive stopgap with the bat to match. Instead, Boston has had to rotate through a mix of players, none of whom have been able to make the position even average.
Timing Is Everything
So now we’re stuck with this brutal “what if” game. What if Devers had just said yes in March? What if he had embraced that team-first mindset a few weeks earlier? Suddenly, you’re looking at a lineup with Bregman at third, Devers shoring up first, and a rotating cast of young bats (hello, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony) getting DH reps. That’s a much scarier offense — one that might not be clinging to the last wild card spot right now.
But that ship has sailed. Devers is California dreaming now, maybe flashing that big swing at Oracle Park while the Sox are left to patch things up midseason.
The sting in Boston isn’t just about losing talent — it’s about the timing. The willingness. The one decision that could’ve changed everything. And now it’s just a bitter note in a song Red Sox fans can’t stop replaying in their heads.
