Red Sox’s third base question with Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers has a straightforward answer

Alex Bregman is a third baseman, present tense. As much as Boston Red Sox star Rafael Devers may hope otherwise, his time as a third baseman may soon be past tense.

Boston signed Bregman this offseason to a contract worth $40 million a year, and there was an initial assumption that he’d play second base. Devers, one of the best hitters on the planet, has been the Red Sox stalwart at third since he broke into the majors at 20 years old in 2017.

The problem is every single inning Bregman has played in the field since 2020 has been at the hot corner, and he’s simply a much better fielder than Devers.

It appears the Red Sox know this, too. Bregman’s first three starts of the spring have come as a third baseman.

In spite of Devers saying “third base is my position,” Bregman is shaping up as the solution Boston wanted all along.

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Alex Bregman vs. Rafael Devers fielding

Ignoring the happiness of all involved for a moment, it’s no contest who should be playing third base at Fenway Park.

Last season, Bregman had six defensive runs saved (DRS), one of many statistics that can exemplify a player’s impact with the glove. Devers accumulated negative-9 DRS, and he’s never had a number above 0 in that statistic since entering the league.

Bregman, at 190 pounds and a former college shortstop, makes plays that the 235-pound Devers simply cannot.

And there’s this: Bregman won the 2024 American League Gold Glove at third base while leading the AL in more traditional defensive statistics like fielding percentage, assists and putouts.

Someone was always going to have to learn a new position in this equation, but the Red Sox are much better off seeing if Devers can play first base or just be the designated hitter than moving off their best third baseman from the position.

Red Sox second base dilemma

Boston has a second base controversy even without Bregman involved, so it’s best to keep him out of that part of the picture altogether.

Kristian Campbell is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 7 prospect in all of baseball, and it seems he’s just about ready to come up and play second base for the Red Sox. Across three levels of the minors last year, he hit .330 with 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases.

Even if Campbell doesn’t win the job, Boston has former promising Braves prospect Vaughn Grissom in camp competing for the spot.

Put Bregman at third and hand the spot off to Campbell as soon as he’s ready.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora recently said Campbell will see “a lot” of opportunity at second base this spring, according to MassLive. Beat reporter Chris Cotillo went on to write that the position is Campbell’s “job to lose.”

It should all be about Boston’s bats

At the end of the day, Devers earned his own gigantic contract because he can hit. He has almost 200 home runs through parts of eight MLB seasons and in an era of low batting averages is a .272 career hitter.

Bregman just slugged 26 homers himself in 2024.

Campbell looks like a future star and someone Boston should want in its lineup immediately, along with fellow top prospect Roman Anthony, an outfielder.

Last season, Jarren Duran (21 HR, 34 SB, .285 AVG) proved himself one of the best players in baseball as well.

There’s no reason to limit the potency of this lineup just to keep Devers happy. He’ll be smiling plenty when he and Bregman are tormenting opposing pitchers. Get 162 games of Devers as a designated hitter, at the expense of positional incumbent Masataka Yoshida, or try him out at first base, where Triston Casas was an above-average hitter but below-average fielder in 2024.

Boston signed Bregman to return its lineup closer to the fearsome thumpers of yesteryear that won four World Series from 2004 to 2018.

We’ll give one of those legends, David Ortiz, the final word, as recently told to NESN.

“Hopefully the organization and the players get to be on the same page,” Ortiz said, “and the problem gets resolved by Opening Day, and the most important thing is that everyone is happy.”