On Monday, Rafael Devers, the Boston Red Sox's third baseman, said adamantly that he had no interest in leaving the position he had held his entire career.

Days after the Red Sox officially announced the signing of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, Devers made his first voice during spring training. As the only remaining member of Boston's last World Series winning team in 2018, Devers is full of pride.

"Third base is where I am," Devers said, "and that's where I've always played." I don't know what their plans are. I know we had a conversation. I made it clear what I thought, and I don't know what will happen from now on. ”

Bregman is the 2024 Golden Glove Award winner for the American League third base position.

Desvers, meanwhile, had an Outs Above Average (OAA) of -6 last season and tied for 36th among 43 qualified third basemen. Looking at OAA data, Devers' defensive performance is often below the average for third basemen, with his -34 OAA being the worst among all eligible third basemen since 2020.

Devers admitted that on Friday, two days after the team reached an agreement with Bregeman, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and chief baseball operations officer Craig Breslow spoke with him about the possibility of letting him leave third base to make room for Bregman.

The left-hand heavy gunner told the team's hierarchy that he wanted to stay on third base.

Since the official announcement of Bregman's signing, Cora has been adamant that the situation is dynamic and that decisions will be made on player positions and squad in due course.

After learning of Devers's statement, Cora maintained her position when briefing the media.

"Like I said a few days ago, we're going to make a decision here about the squad building and the future action, and we've got to make the best decision possible," Korra said, "and he's got a lot of self-esteem and we know that. He feels like he's the third baseman and he's going to train as a third baseman and we're going to make decisions accordingly. I don't think it's about Bregman, Devers or Cora personally. It's about the Red Sox. Whatever decision we make, it's for the good of the team. ”

If Devers stays on third base, Bregman will move to second base. Korra has repeatedly said he believes Bregman will be able to make the transition.

Another issue that complicates the situation is that Kristian Campbell, who is seventh on the MLB Pipeline, is expected to be on the squad. If he is selected, second base is the best fit for him on the current roster.

Speaking at Sunday's debut press conference, Bregman was open about his place in his new squad.

"It's too early to say whether Rafi [Devers's nickname] will be the designated batter or continue to hit third base, or whether Alex [Bregman] will be second baseman or continue to play third base," Korra said, "and there's competition here, and I think flexibility and versatility are very important for us." We have some talented players. We'll pick the best squad to go to Texas (for the opening game). ”

One of Kora's strengths as a head coach is his ability to communicate with his players. He believes that this capacity will play an important role in dealing with the situation in the coming weeks.

"I'm going to talk to Lafite, we're going to keep working hard and we're going to make decisions based on what we need to win the division," Cora said, "and I have a good relationship with Lafite. I'll make sure he understands, 'Hey, here's the baseball business thing.'" But we're still Raffi and Alex. I've been with this kid since November 2017. It's part of the business. We will continue to work on it. Decisions will be made based on the roster build. That's the reality, and we'll keep communicating. ”

For the second year in a row, Devers was in the news at the first press conference for spring training. Last year, he urged the team to do more to improve the squad.

From this point of view, going into 2025, he is much more satisfied.

'To be honest, I think we have a great team,' said Defuss, "and I'm thankful to the owners for the signings and the new recruits they have brought in. Yes, I'm really happy and I'm ready to start the new season. I'm excited about our current squad. ”

Despite the position controversy, Devers is excited to have Bregman on the team.

"I think he's a very, very good guy," Devers said, "and he's got a lot of experience. He knows what he's doing and he's a big help for our team. ”

Devers is on contract with the Red Sox until the 2033 season. He was asked if he was disappointed that the Red Sox had come up with the idea of letting him switch positions less than two years after he signed the contract.

"I knew from the beginning that it was a business," De Fors said, "and I knew that both sides would do what was best for them and what was most comfortable for them." I don't think this is the right business practice. But I always knew it was business. ”

At the end of the day, the Red Sox's goal is to win, and that's exactly what Devers has failed to achieve for the past three years.