Everything Alex Cora Said About Rafael Devers Preferring To Retain Position

Alex Cora wasn’t surprised Rafael Devers publicly expressed his desire to remain at third base because the Red Sox slugger said the same behind the scenes last week.

“We talked about every possibility that could possibly happen,” Cora told reporters in Fort Myers, Fla. on Monday, as seen on NESN. “We talked about different situations, we talked about (him serving as the designated hitter). He said, ‘I’m a third baseman.'”

Cora faced a handful of questions stemming from the comments Devers made Monday when he spoke to the media for the first time since the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman. Devers was asked if he would sign off on a transition to designated hitter given Bregman won a Gold Glove at third base in 2024, and the 28-year-old said he would not.

“He has a lot of pride,” Cora said. “We know that. He feels like he’s a third baseman. He’s going to work out as a third baseman and then we’re going to make decisions accordingly. But I think here it’s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora. It’s about the Red Sox, right? Whatever decision we make is for the benefit of the team.

“It’s too early right now to say that Raffy is going to be a DH or he’s going to play third base, that Alex is going to be a second baseman or he’s going to play third base. There’s competition here, and I think flexibility and versatility is huge for us. We got some talented guys and we’re going to take the best roster going to Texas. There’s going to be competitions and dictated of who wins it or who doesn’t, whatever, we’re going make decisions for the lineup and for the roster.”

Cora said was not “mad” or “surprised” by Devers’ initial stance and ensuing comments. After working with Devers for nearly a decade, Cora knew Devers would remain steadfast and want to retain his spot at the hot corner.

“Me and Raffy, we have a great relationship. That’s something that I made sure, I said, ‘Hey, man, this is the baseball side of it, we’re still Raffy and Alex,” Cora said. “It’s part of the business and we’ll keep working. Like I said, decisions will be made based on roster construction. That’s the reality of it. And we’ll keep talking.”

Cora credited the Red Sox front office for the job it did improving the roster this offseason. Boston did so through player development, a trade for starting pitcher Garrett Crochet and free agency signings of Walker Buehler, Bregman and others. Bregman’s expressed a willingness to play second base, and the manager previously said the two-time MLB All-Star is capable of playing a Gold Glove-caliber at second base.

It’s made for a talented roster — a talented roster that includes Devers.

“At the end of the day, Raffy is Raffy. Whoever sits here (in front of media), I’m not going to coach them to say something they don’t feel,” Cora said. “But I can guarantee you something: He wants to win here, he wants to win a ring here in Boston.”