Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman Highlight Boston Red Sox Defensive Dilemma

The Boston Red Sox signed a third baseman who is about five times better defensively than their incumbent.

But they’re likely to continue starting the player who is one of the poorest at the position in the majors.

Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. Mark it on your scorecard as “complete nonsense.”

How the Red Sox handle having Alex Bregman join the team as Rafael Devers insists he’s not changing positions is one of the bigger storylines to watch during spring training.

Boston manager Alex Cora has to walk a fine line with Devers before eventually securing a resolution.

Bregman won a Gold Glove for his play at third base last season for the Houston Astros. Devers led American League third basemen in errors for the seventh straight season.

He led all major league third basemen in errors in five of those seasons.

The position is known as the hot corner, and it certainly has proven to be too hot for Devers to handle.

And it’s not just the horrific number of errors but also those other balls that get past Devers for hits—plays that Bregman would easily field. Bregman has led the AL or tied for the AL lead in assists in each of the past three seasons.

If putting the best team on the field is the priority, then Devers must be told that his potent bat remains valued, but it’s time for a better defensive player to man third base.

Bregman has made 81 errors in 995 career games as a third baseman. Devers has committed 141 in 955 games.

I’ll say what the starting pitchers are muttering under their breath but can’t say out loud: “Please, Alex Cora, put Bregman at third base. All those plays that don’t get made cause extra pitches and wear and tear on our arms.”

You have to respect how Bregman is handling the situation.

He could have arrived at spring training with a big ego to match his big new contract. He could have insisted during negotiations that he wouldn’t sign with the Red Sox unless he was going to be the third baseman.

Instead, he’s acting like a true professional who owns two World Series rings.

“It’s an honor to be Raffy’s teammate,” Bregman told reporters. “We’ve just been keeping our head down, getting to work.

“I’ll play anywhere. I truly mean it. Wherever A.C. tells me to play, I’ll be ready to play.”

For now, it looks like Bregman could start the season as Boston’s second baseman.

He has made nine career appearances at second base with only two starts. He made one start as a rookie in 2016 and another in 2018.

I don’t doubt that Bregman can adjust and play second base, but it’s highly unlikely that he’ll make the same impact there that he does at third.

Of course, baseball is full of instances where good players changed positions during their careers.

Robin Yount moved from shortstop to the outfield. Pete Rose went from second base to the outfield. Alex Rodriguez shifted from shortstop to third base due to Derek Jeter’s presence in the Bronx.

More recently, Fernando Tatis Jr. was moved from shortstop to right field. Jose Altuve is currently transitioning from second base to left field.

Sometimes, position changes are complete nightmares. When the San Diego Padres had an aging Willie McCovey at first base, they moved up-and-comer Mike Ivie to third base before the 1975 season. That experiment quickly ended when Ivie made 17 errors in 61 games.

Devers makes his impact with his hitting. The three-time All-Star has 200 homers and a .511 slugging percentage in eight seasons. He has hit more than 30 homers three times.

The Red Sox can’t make a legitimate playoff push without his offensive prowess. But their postseason hopes improve if he’s only at third base part of the time.

So rotate Bregman between third and second, find Devers some games at third, and figure out how to get him to understand that the team is better if he’s not using his glove as much as in past seasons.