Why Red Sox Believe Rafael Devers Could Play First Base

Rafael Devers remains the Boston Red Sox designated hitter, but conversations about playing first base, despite trending storylines, are ongoing with the ballclub.

Manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow discussed conversations with Devers Friday and added more context to the thought process of Devers potentially making the move.

“That is kind of secondary to the other conversation,” Breslow told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “That decision was never going to be made in a couch in an office in Kansas City. That conversation is ongoing.”

“No,” Cora said in response to Devers starting to take ground balls now, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “The plan is to keep having conversations. … “We’re just talking about a possible change of position. This is where we’re at right now. We lost our first baseman. We’re exploring every way to improve.”

Devers is just about two months into a previous switch for the Red Sox from third base to designated hitter. If the Red Sox and Devers agree to move him again, there’s context to that process.

“He’s a guy with significant experience at a corner infield position,” Breslow said. “Feel like it would be a transition that others have made that we think he can make. I recognize it’s not that simple. These aren’t the types of moves that can be made overnight. The initial conversation that Raffy and I had was of an exploratory nature.”