Trailing their fierce New York rivals by two games in the standings, the Boston Red Sox are eager to climb to the top of the AL East. However, injuries continue to plague the team, with the latest blow coming as first baseman Romy Gonzalez landed on the injured list. In light of this setback, speculation has grown around whether manager Alex Cora will ask star third baseman Rafael Devers to shift to first base.
According to an ESPN report Saturday, tension arose after Thursday’s win over the Texas Rangers, when Devers publicly stated he had no intention of playing first. That prompted a visit from the Red Sox front office to Kansas City for discussions with their franchise player. When asked if Devers might start practicing at first base, Cora sidestepped the question, saying, “We’ll keep talking about stuff… We’ve got Romy, we’ve got Toro now, and we’ve got Sogi. That’s the route we’re going to have right now.”
Devers, who signed a contract extension worth over \$300 million before last season, is the cornerstone of the Red Sox’s future. So why is he so reluctant to switch positions—and why is it becoming a point of contention with team leadership? If this internal conflict isn’t resolved soon, the Red Sox could be facing more serious issues than just injuries.