What’s with Rafael Devers? It feels like every piece of news is about where the Red Sox will slot him in the lineup this season. The regular season kicked in, and Devers was placed as a DH, while Alex Bregman took the 3B. Yes, Devers was not impressed with the decision, but the fans were eager to see how this combination shines on the field. Nothing like that happened, leaving the Red Sox to go down by 2-3 against the Rangers. However, it’s not that the Red Sox skipper is not aware of the situation, and he shared the opening day slump. Should the fans hope for better in the coming games? What is the team thinking about Rafael Devers?
While the Red Sox lost the opening game, Devers’ historical slump caught all the eye. Devers, the designated hitter for the Red Sox, is having a historically bad start to the season. In the opening game against the Rangers, he went 0 for 4 with a walk and three strikeouts, securing a spot in the record books and extending his hitless drought to 12 at-bats. Moreover, Devers set a new record for the most strikeouts in MLB history with 10 in his first three games!
What made matters worse was the unwillingness of Devers to take up the new role. Devers’ difficulties are particularly related to his decision to become a designated hitter, which he first opposed before agreeing to make a place for Bregman. “I think that’s in the past,” Devers said in the post-match press meet. It seems like Devers is long past the controversies regarding his new position, but what about his current performance? Well, Cora has something to offer here.
“We just had a good conversation about that. It’s details that I’ve noticed throughout his career. We can talk about his set-up, we can talk about his hands. But he’s been (adjusting) his hands his whole career — sometimes they’re down, sometimes they’re up, whatever.” Cora sounds confident talking to NESN.
While Cora hasn’t offered any breathing room to Devers, he is letting Devers work on the improvements on his own and get back to the position. Quite rational considering Devers has been playing with the Red Sox since 2017 and has enough experience to let things work on his own.
Yet, does it put the rumors of Devers’ trading to rest? Remember what the MLB insider Sam Bernardi said? “One team that could make a run at Devers is the Detroit Tigers.” The Red Sox have Devers till 2033 for $313 million. Too big to let Devers go. With Devers as a DH, and Bregman and Triston Casas at the bases, the team is just about to go big.
The Red Sox is capable to turn the tides
The Red Sox is well past the controversy regarding third base and rumors of trading Rafael Devers. They are more concerned about improving their game after losing out in the opening game. “I think I’ve noticed a few things and hopefully we can execute. Just watching.” Cora seems confident about Devers coming back to his form. With Devers and BBregman often taking the limelight, names like Wilyer Abreu take the backseat. However, Abreu is the hero of their game against the Rangers. He slammed two towering homers in the opening game, including a three-run in the ninth innings to make a 2-2 tie. The slider he smashed for a 394-foot homer can be considered as the moment of the game. Last year, the Red Sox was ranked #9 in terms of starts, with a 47-51 record.
This year, Walker Buehler and Garrett Crochet joined the pitching squad of Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello. Crochet’s 209 strikeouts from last year and Buehler’s 18 postseason starts will be something worthy for the team this year. The pitching depth of the Red Sox is comparable to the Dodgers’ rotation. Remember the big 3 rookies of the club-Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell? The 431-foot homer by Campbell announced the rookies’ arrival on the biggest stage. Adding this up with Bregman’s Gold Glove style of defense, and the shortstop Trevor Story’s hitting, the team got all the reasons to be optimistic.
Opening day slump is just normal in a 162-game season. The following few games will offer an insight if the team is capable of turning the tides. A good performance will also put off the rumors with Devers and all.
Do you the Red Sox can go big this year? Our comment box is open for your views.
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