Rafael Devers Should Star in New Red Sox Role and Quiet MLB Trade Rumors for Good

Rafael Devers has made a career—and millions upon millions of dollars—on the strength of his hitting.

The Boston Red Sox, his MLB employer, are about to put him in a spot that emphasizes the best skill he employs.

Sounds like an awesome idea, right?

To the outside observer, it's an emphatic yes. But for Devers himself, maybe not so much. Not when this new role, necessitated by Boston's $120 million investment in two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and reigning Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman, will move Devers off of the third base position he has manned for, more or less, the entirety of his eight-year big-league career.

It's a change so jarring in Devers' eyes that he actually considered asking for a trade out of Boston, per Sean McAdam of MassLive.

That sounds...well, silly if we're being frank or unnecessary if we take the more polite approach.

Bregman was just honored as the best defensive third baseman in the American League. Devers, on the other hand, has routinely been regarded as one of the worst defenders at the position.

Since 2020, Devers has ranked dead last among qualified third basemen with minus-33 outs above average, per FanGraphs. Bregman checked in eighth over this same stretch with plus-13.

Last season, the gap was even wider. While Devers again brought up the rear at minus-6 OAA, Bregman was fifth at the position with plus-6.

There is no debate here. Not if everyone involved is willing to set egos and personal preferences aside.

That was seemingly an obstacle Devers had to clear at some point during this process. Luckily, for the Red Sox—and for Devers himself—it sounds like the star 28-year-old slugger has seemingly made it over that hump.

"I just want to help the team win," Devers told reporters through an interpreter recently. "Whatever position I'm playing, I always take these things as a competition and as a way to get better."

If Devers sees this as a challenge, that's great. A three-time All-Star pushing himself to be even better can only mean good things for the player and his ballclub.

What this really feels like, though, is a move to get Devers into an ideal spot. He is an all-caps ELITE hitter, and a switch to designated hitter will position him to only do what he does best.

He's an absolute masher. His career per-162-game averages include 33 homers, 102 runs and 105 RBI, per Baseball-Reference. His career slash line sits at a sizzling .279/.345/.511. His career .8556 career OPS ranks 16th-best among active players and cracks the top 175 all-time.

If that's what he's doing while balancing hitting and fielding duties, imagine what's possible if he's fully focused on the former. Maybe taking throwing off his plate even helps calm down the shoulder soreness he encountered last season.

This might technically go down as a position change, but it feels more like Devers finding his true calling. And if he was already starring in a role that appeared less than ideal for his skill set, it's quite possible he'll elevate his game even further.

This is, without question, the right move for the Red Sox and for Devers himself. If he takes to this new role and sees that for himself, the idea of him doing anything other than launching lasers from the heart of this lineup should become a distant, perhaps laughable memory sooner than later.