The Red Sox have a slew of questions heading into the 2023 Major League Baseball season, but they do know Rafael Devers will be the third baseman for the foreseeable future.
Boston signed Devers to a 10-year contract extension, which was made official Wednesday morning at Fenway Park. It will keep a piece of homegrown talent within the organization.
With Xander Bogaerts now part of the San Diego Padres, J.D. Martinez signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Trevor Story sidelined without a timeline to return after undergoing elbow surgery, the Red Sox lineup has a lot of holes.
There also is the pitching. Chris Sale figures to be healthy, but it’s unclear what James Paxton will bring to the rotation, whether Brayan Bello will break out as the pitcher he’s projected to be and how Garrett Whitlock will adjust to being a full-time starter.
But for everything it lacks, Devers still is confident in what they have now.
“I feel very comfortable with the team we have now,” Devers said through his translator at Fenway Park during his press conference, as seen on NESN. “There’s always room for another piece, but I feel very comfortable with the additions that we’ve made in the bullpen. I think we got really better there. And you know, that’s just part of it. And, you know, I just feel very comfortable with where we’re going.”
Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom did reveal the Red Sox will look to add beyond the middle infield, but time is running out to make a substantial move.
For all the unknowns heading into 2023, fans can take solace in the fact that when Opening Day rolls around, Devers will be at third base.
