Red Sox Concerned: Rafael Devers’ Stance on Position Change Signals Team Culture Shift

This season, more than any in their recent history, the Red Sox have been a team in transition.

After several years in which the team plugged short-term veterans to fill roster needs, the 2025 Red Sox are, more than ever, relying on the arrival of a number of top-rated prospects.

Outfielder Roman Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, both promoted within the last month, are regarded as key building blocks for the franchise’s future. Together with infielder Kristian Campbell and fellow rookie catcher Carlos Narvaez, there are nights when the Red Sox feature four rookies in their lineup.

According to a baseball source, it was their presence — and importance — which concerned management when it came to Rafael Devers, whom the club dealt to the San Francsico Giants Sunday.

When Devers balked at moving to DH in spring training, then rebuffed the team’s entreaties to give first base a try after the season-ending injuries to Triston Casas, the Red Sox feared that the team’s culture was being damaged by the All-Star’s intransigence.

If Mayer, Anthony et al observed Devers refusing to put the team first by trying a new position because of a sudden need, what sort of message would that send to the first-year players?

In that sense, the die was cast when Devers was unmoved by an in-person appeal from team owner John Henry. Henry flew to Kansas City, accompanied by team president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow the day after Devers had aired his grievances with the club publicly, effectively mocking Breslow for having the gall to ask about trying first base.

When Henry couldn’t get through to Devers or get him to acknowledge that he had a responsibility to his teammates to help out at first, it marked the beginning of the end of the relationship between the star and the only franchise for which he had played.

Anthony, Mayer and Campbell are expected to be cornerstones for the Red Sox for years to come. The team has trumpeted the trio’s development for years, awaiting their graduation to the big leagues. The last thing they needed to observe, the Red Sox determined, was a player who defied the club and refused to serve a needed role.

Breslow hinted at that during a Zoom call with reporters Monday evening.

“I think culture is always important,” said Breslow, “but I think it’s magnified when you have young players who are coming to the big leagues and trying to acclimate themselves to this lifestyle, expectations and demands and to understanding that they need to convert their emotions from being happy to be here to being willing to do anything that’s needed to win as quickly as possible.

“We’re very deliberate about the environment that we’re creating to support these guys and making sure that the messaging is the right type of messaging, so that three, four, five years from now when there’s another wave of exciting young talent that’s infusing our major league team, they have set the standard that will be easy to pass on.”

To date, Anthony and Mayer have been eased into their big league careers, with manager Alex Cora picking and choosing his spots when it comes to playing time. In the three-game sweep of the New York Yankees this past weekend, both players were held out of the starting lineup twice as New York lined up three lefty starting pitchers.

Ironically, the trade of Devers could open more playing opportunities for both. In time, it’s expected that, in time, Masataka Yoshida will gets most of the at-bats at Devers’ previous spot as DH.

But in the short-term, Cora might seize the chance to spot either of the two rookies in the DH role, especially after Wilyer Abreu, on schedule to come off the IL Friday, rejoins the active roster and reclaims his status as the starting right fielder.

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