Red Sox manager Alex Cora gets honest about handling Rafael Devers-Alex Bregman drama
Following Alex Bregman's three-year, $120 million signing with the Boston Red Sox, things got intense during the spring training camp at Fort Myers. The Red Sox had a third baseman. Rafael Devers, so manager Alex Cora had a situation on his hands.
On the cusp of losing his third baseman position, Devers made sure to let it be known that he's not leaving it. While Alex Bregman was willing to shift to second base, he was too good a defensive player not to be utilized at third base. Thus, Cora made the call to play Bregman at third and Devers in the DH spot.
Months after the drama unfolded, on Tuesday, Cora, on The Show with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman, discussed the situation and how he put the handle on it.
“The way we handled the situation — I don’t know. People have their opinions," Cora said (25:10 onwards). "I was in camp early for a reason. I got there on February 5th. Rafie was in Fort Myers the first week of January. Things happened fast — people don’t understand that. It really happened fast. I think you have to be very careful with the messaging, because yeah, it can go one way, but it can also go the other way.
"And I think we did what we needed to do to improve the team, and we communicated with the people we had to communicate with — the right way. I think time, in the end, was our ally. It helped us. Because at the end of the day, what we want to do is win in this city."
Cora also praised Devers for being understanding and doing what's best for the team.
"Rafi was very vocal about that last year, and he understands where we’re at as an organization," Alex Bregman's teammate added. "And he’s doing everything possible to help us win games."
Rafael Devers shares thoughts on why he left 3B for Alex Bregman
The change in tone from being adamant to play third base, followed by a softer chance, came after Rafael Devers had productive conversations with manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, according to NBC Boston.
"We spoke already, and I'm good to do whatever they want me to do," he said. "I'm here to help. I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play.”
Devers hasn't been quite the best player on third base. He led the majors in errors for seven consecutive seasons and had 12 in 2024. Thus, it was in the team's best interest to have Alex Bregman play third.