Less than a day after telling reporters he was willing to do whatever the Red Sox needed, a Friday morning report from MassLive’s Sean McAdam revealed that Rafael Devers had considered requesting a trade earlier this spring.
Tensions surfaced three weeks ago when Devers firmly refused to switch positions to accommodate newly acquired Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman.
“Third base is my position. It’s what I’ve always played,” Devers stated through an interpreter. “I don’t know the team’s plans, but I made my desires clear in our conversations. What happens next, I’m not sure.”
However, on Thursday, Devers softened his stance, telling reporters he had spoken with Red Sox leadership and remained committed to playing third base but was open to doing what was best for the team. Despite this, McAdam’s report suggests lingering tension between Devers and the organization.
“Sources indicate Devers was frustrated enough to consider asking for a trade,” McAdam wrote. “It’s possible he expressed this sentiment during private discussions with [General Manager] Craig Breslow.”
Devers’ insistence on staying at third is puzzling, given his defensive struggles. He committed 12 errors in 2024—an improvement from 19 in 2023—yet still led all AL third basemen in errors for the seventh straight year. In contrast, Bregman, who won a Gold Glove with the Astros last season, recorded just 10 errors in 142 games.
Devers is under contract with the Red Sox through 2033 after signing a 10-year, $313.5 million extension in early 2023—the largest in franchise history. With such a hefty contract and his reluctance to switch positions, finding a trade partner seems unlikely.
However, Bregman has opt-out clauses after the 2025 and 2026 seasons, meaning Devers could potentially retain his role at third base in the long run.
Adding to the uncertainty, Devers has yet to appear in spring training due to unexplained shoulder issues.
“I don’t know why there’s been so much attention on my shoulders,” Devers told NESN’s Tom Caron. “I’ve said from day one that they’re fine, and they’re fine now.”
Devers is expected to make his spring training debut on Saturday.