“Devers gonna cry about this all year long” – Fans react as Red Sox manager Alex Cora gives 3B nod to Alex Bregman instead of Rafael Devers

Alex Bregman has been named as the 3rd baseman for the Boston Red Sox by manager Alex Cora instead of team superstar Rafael Devers.

“Devers gonna cry about this all year long” – Fans react as Red Sox manager Alex Cora gives 3B nod to Alex Bregman instead of Rafael Devers

Alex Bregman, Alex Cora and Rafael Devers (Image via The Boston Globe/Yardbarker)

Just a day before the Opening Day, the Boston Red Sox manager, Alex Cora, made a huge move. He gave the third base nod to Alex Bregman and put Rafael Devers as the Designated Hitter (DH) of the team for the 2025 season.

Devers had spent his entire Red Sox career in the third base position. He though has struggled a bit in this position.

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During the offseason, the Red Sox brought in 2-time All-Star Alex Bregman on a 3-year $120 million deal. Once his deal was made official, the big question was – who would play in the 3B position?

When asked about this, Devers at first refused to give up this position. The Dominican international pointed out that the previous Red Sox management had promised him that this position would be his. Meanwhile, Bregman was ready to play as the 2nd baseman.

Two weeks ago, Devers made a U-turn on his stance and expressed that he was “ready to play” as the DH of the team. After an internal discussion, manager Alex Cora selected Bregman as the 3rd baseman for the Opening Day roster while making Devers a DH.

Cora revealed this decision while appearing on the WEEI Radio. He added that Devers understood the decision of the team.

We had conversations throughout Spring Training, and [Devers] was very vocal about how he felt. We made a decision. Alex is going to play third, and Raffy is going to DH. We all are in the winning business, and he understands that.

Alex Cora said on WEEI Radio

Statistically speaking, Bregman has done better in this position than Devers. While the former Houston Astros star has won a gold glove in this position, Devers has made some errors.

As per Statscast, Bregman had a 6 Outs Above Average (OAA) in the 2024 season. Meanwhile, Devers had a score of -6 in this criteria. However, he did improve a bit from the 2023 season, where he had an a OAA of -9.

Social media reacts to Alex Bregman becoming Red Sox’s 3rd baseman over Rafael Devers

Rafael Devers caused a massive uproar among the fans when he refused to yield his third baseman position for Alex Bregman. After weeks of discussion, he ultimately had to give up this position and try something new in his career.

Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers
Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers (Image via The Boston Globe/Bleacher Report)

Once the news regarding this went viral, fans on social media took a swipe at Devers. Many of them made jokes about him. While Some fans were left concerned regarding the atmosphere in the clubhouse, some urged him to request a trade away from the team. Meanwhile, one fan wrote, “Devers gonna cry about this all year long” while wildly reacting to it.

Check out that and some reactions from X below:

As for their hitting stats, during he 2025 Spring Training, Bregman had 43 plate appearances. In this, he managed to hit 3 home runs and batted in 10 runs. Meanwhile, Devers only had 14 at-bats and managed to collect just 3 hits and had 2 RBI.

Alex Bregman opens up about his relationship with Rafael Devers

The decision regarding Alex Bregman being named as the third baseman instead of Rafael Devers has led to many wondering about the situation in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse. As per Bregman, things seem to be cool between him and Devers as he opened up about his relationship.

Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman
Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman (Image via X/@BostonStrong_34)

Before Bregman’s move to the Red Sox, Devers was considered the franchise player of the team. With that move, not only did that become debatable for some, but he also lost his position on the field. Despite this, their relationship is “great” as per Bregman and that there is no potential rift between them.

It’s been great. Obviously, I’ve always admired him. I feel like he’s one of the best players in all of baseball. I’ve always admired playing against him. And now, I’m super thrilled to be on his team and compete together for one goal.

Alex Bregman said as per NESN

Only time will tell how this move will work out for the Red Sox. The team will start the season with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers before taking on the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game series in Baltimore. They will host their first home game on April 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals as they hope to improve on their 81-81 record from last season.