Apr 30, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers (11) hits a one-run double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Everyone has a different opinion, it seems, on the Boston Red Sox's first base situation.
When Triston Casas went down with a torn patellar tendon last Friday, the Red Sox were left in a pickle. They didn't have a clear-cut starter at an offense-first position, and their replacement options are all either uninspiring or outside-the-box.
Perhaps the most comforting idea is moving Rafael Devers, who played third base for eight years in the big leagues, across the diamond to first. But the Red Sox have already moved Devers once this season to make him a full-time designated hitter.
Can the team ask the 28-year-old slugger to make a second selfless move? According to one insider, it may only be a question of timing.
On Thursday, ESPN's Buster Olney published a piece ranking the Red Sox's first-base options, and Devers was at the top of the list. Olney said that Devers moving to first could be "inevitable" at some point in the next decade, so why not get a head start?
"(Alex) Cora said he hadn't asked Devers about a move to first, and some rival evaluators believe that makes sense due to the political complications," Olney wrote. "After Devers was surprised by the late-winter signing of Alex Bregman and initially rejected the idea of moving from third base, Devers eventually went along with a shift to designated hitter.
"That doesn't preclude Devers from knocking on Cora's door and telling his manager he would like to move, which could be the best-case scenario for the Red Sox. And in doing this, Devers could be embracing the inevitable -- because eventually, he's probably going to move to first base. Devers is in the third year of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract that runs through 2033."
Casas' uncertain future has changed the entire outlook here. Bouncing back from such a severe knee injury can take a long time, and it's not guaranteed he ever returns to being an above-average big-league slugger. Devers, meanwhile, already has the big contract.
If Devers is resistant to the idea, though, things could get tricky in the Boston clubhouse. Cora would have his work cut out for him trying to smooth things over for the second time in a matter of three months.
