Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

“Devers isn’t a ‘Mickey Mouse’ player”- David Ortiz backs Rafael Devers in Red Sox position saga

"You are not talking about just another ball player."

Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Rafael Devers usually uses an interpreter when speaking to the media, but some answers don’t need translation. Three minutes into a conversation at JetBlue Park, when asked if he’d consider playing DH to accommodate Alex Bregman at third base, Devers had a simple response: “No.”

And, whether surprising or not, he’s found plenty of support – including from Red Sox legend David Ortiz, who ironically spent much of his own career as a designated hitter.

When the Red Sox signed Devers to his massive extension, the expectation was that he’d be their long-term third baseman. But with Bregman – last year’s AL Gold Glove winner – now in the mix, Boston is a better team with him at third. The front office knows it. The analytics back it up.

Chaim Bloom, the GM who signed Devers, is no longer with the organization, something Alex Cora was specific to point out. Bloon wasn’t alone in believing Devers would hold down the hot corner for years.

David Ortiz weighs in

David Ortiz, speaking to Z101 Digital, made it clear: you don’t mess with Rafael Devers.

David Ortiz on Devers & Bregman: “You are not talking about just another ball player, you are talking about Rafael Devers, the current David Ortiz type player the Red Sox have. Listen to me, that’s the team’s best player. Bregman might have better defensive numbers, I’ll give you…
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) February 18, 2025

“You’re not talking about just another ballplayer. You’re talking about Rafael Devers—the closest thing the Red Sox have to a David Ortiz-type player. Listen to me, that’s the team’s best hitter. Bregman might have better defensive numbers, I’ll give you that. But Devers isn’t a ‘Mickey Mouse’ player. You don’t want to make him unhappy.”

Why it’s a risky gamble for Boston

The Red Sox finally opened their checkbook to bring in Bregman, signaling a renewed commitment to competing. But if that move leads to a frustrated, underperforming, or even traded Rafael Devers, it would be two steps backward after one step forward.

ALSO READ: Austin Wells out until March: The bizarre workload story

Devers’ defense has never been his calling card – his bat is what could one day land him in the Hall of Fame. But he’s also been with the Red Sox since 2017, their last remaining link to the 2018 championship team.

As The Athletic’s Steve Buckley put it:

“Devers has earned the right to pout, but it’s good business to move him to DH.”

And in sport, there’s no better business than winning rings.

Boston Red Sox

David Ortiz

Rafael Devers

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.