Rafael Devers’ Refusal To Play First Base Is Stopping The Red Sox From Calling Up No. 1 Prospect Roman Anthony

Rafael Devers’ refusal to play first base could cost the Boston Red Sox more than just a shot at the American League East crown. 

The Red Sox are currently 9.5 games behind the New York Yankees for the division lead and remain 4.5-games out of an AL Wild Card spot. As the team searches for answers, Devers is firmly planted at designated hitter, a decision that may be stalling the debut of No. 1 overall  prospect Roman Anthony.

Adding MLB Pipeline’s top-rated prospect into the mix could inject life into the Red Sox lineup, but it doesn’t seem like everyone is aligned on the idea.

Devers Is Hurting The Red Sox Lineup By Sticking At DH

Devers told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe that the team told him to put his glove away when he was moved to DH following the g of third baseman Alex Bregman. 

Since then, his relationship with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been shaky at best and manager Alex Cora didn’t help the situation recently when he closed the door on Devers returning to third base in the wake of Bregman’s injury. 

Instead, Cora doubled down on reopening the conversation with Devers to play first base, something he’s been adamant that he’s not willing to do. 

While it’s easy to call Devers a bad teammate, the organization has been quick to throw him under the bus while refusing to let him man the only position he’s ever played in his MLB career, even with his successor Bregman sidelined for the next two months.

Complicating matters is the fact that Devers had one of the most productive months of his career in May, hitting .365 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. Following a slow start to the year, the left-handed power hitter is mashing .287 with 12 home runs with 50 RBIs in 58 games.

Still, with Bregman sidelined and the Red Sox struggling to generate consistent offense, Devers’ refusal to slide over to first base has become a roadblock in a critical moment for the franchise.

How The Red Sox Could Call Up Roman Anthony By Moving Devers To 1B

Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne detailed how moving Devers to first base could open up a lot of flexibility in the lineup and eventually lead to Roman Anthony’s long-awaited call-up. 

There’s no doubt Anthony is performing like a player who belongs in the big leagues. 

In 49 games at Triple-A, the 21-year-old outfielder is hitting .318 with nine doubles, two triples, eight homers, and 23 RBIs. He boasts a staggering 95.5 mph average exit velocity on balls in play and has flashed elite power of late with his two recent home runs topping 115 mph off the bat.

The problem is — the outfield in Boston is crowded but centerfielder Cedanne Rafaela also has the ability to play multiple infield positions. With Devers penciled in at first base, he could turn into a super-utility player that helps the Red Sox maximize their returns at the plate on a nightly basis.

This would allow Anthony to rotate between DH and the outfield with Rafaela bouncing around the infield to fill gaps at second, third, and shortstop.

“Roman could be a really, really good player,” Breslow said. “But I think we also need to be mindful of the environment that Roman would be coming into and the type of pressure that we’re potentially putting on a 21-year-old.”