Leandre: New regime, same messaging problem for Boston Red Sox
Since turning the keys over to Chaim Bloom and, more recently, Craig Breslow, the Boston Red Sox continue to let bad messaging bite them.
Following the Boston Red Sox impressive 5-0 shutout victory over the Texas Rangers Thursday, the storyline wasn’t about their series victory.
It was instead about how now designated hitter Rafael Devers is unwilling to play first base just three months after getting told to hang his glove up and devote all his energy to hitting.
Unless you lived under a rock during Spring Training, you probably are aware that the All-Star wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of moving off a position he’d called home since his debut in 2017, even for Gold Glover and fellow All-Star Alex Bregman.
“I play third.”
That quote has been memed all over since mid-February for various reasons, but the connotation is largely negative even as Devers adjusted and is now thriving in the role he assumed.
Fast forward three months, and everyday first baseman Triston Casas ruptures his patellar tendon in his left knee, thus ending his season. The conversation now is centered on Devers again.
Not in the way you’d think — you know, the “Can Devers take it to another level to replace the left-handed production you expected Casas to have over 162?” way.
The conversation is now, “Ugh… this Devers guy really is selfish. He refuses to ever do right by the team. Just put on a first base mitt!" You’ve already got your money!” Forgetting that Devers swallowed his pride less than three months ago and conceded he will never play the infield again — which is an idea manager Alex Cora publicly seems to concur with.
Here’s the exchange between Cora and MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on May 6:
“We talked about the Raffy first base thing the other day. Have you had any conversations with him about it?” - Cotillo
“No.” - Cora
“Do you plan to?” - Cotillo
“No.” - Cora
Pretty blunt, right? Now, two days later, Devers publicly throws Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow to the wolves for suggesting he learn a new position for the second time since March.
“I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” Devers said postgame through his interpreter. “In Spring Training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove — that I wasn’t going to play any other position but (designated hitter).
“So right now, I feel like it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position … It was (Breslow) that I spoke with. I’m not sure what he has with me. He played ball and I would like to think he knows that changing positions like that isn’t easy.”
First off, this comment is hilarious. Rafael, they’ve asked you to DH and play first base. If Ceddanne Rafaela gets hurt, you will not get asked to take reads in center field. When Connor Wong got hurt, you were not asked to start working on your framing.
Also, Breslow was a career-long reliever. He made two starts across 576 MLB appearances and three additional “starts” in 282 minor-league outings. Expecting him to know what that transition is like would be as unfair on your end as much as it is for him to assume it’d be easy for you — maybe less unfair given we all witnessed how the season began with Devers at DH.
Nevertheless, the everlasting issue that persists within the organization of bad messaging continues to run rampant.
The timeline is muddy as to when Breslow spoke with Devers about playing first, as well as how serious the inquiry was when he asked, but for the CBO to undermine the manager’s intentions is 101 on how to create bad juju within the big-league operation.
We saw it for years with Chaim Bloom. He and Cora seemed never on the same page when it came to roster construction and player acquisition. The most obvious example appeared as an outsider to be with outfielder Alex Verdugo, but the feeling towards shortstop Xander Bogaerts and the addressing of the starting rotation at least in the immediate aftermath seemed to eat at Cora more at least on the field.
Breslow now has used his franchise’s face to cover up his shortcomings with building the roster. Yes, one ultimately followed the signing of Alex Bregman. But the Red Sox dragged their heels all offseason with improving the lineup and then sprung it on Devers in February that they’d like him to stop playing the field.
Yes, Devers’ defensive metrics were bad. There is zero denying that. However, when you’re nationally ranked as a consensus top three player at your position, higher than the player they’re replacing you on the field with, a bit of ego will set in. Had they been more proactive with signing Bregman, let’s say late-December, early-January, maybe they avoid the media fiasco in Spring Training and the slugger has already conceded he will be the DH.
Instead, in January, Cora openly says — on live television — that he has always viewed Bregman as a gold glove second baseman and Devers is his third baseman. Then, you sign him, and the dynamic changes on a whim.
There is disconnect.
Fast forward to Casas’ injury, and the lack of legitimate first base depth becomes apparent. Romy Gonzalez has performed admirably in a small sample size, but he’s not proven to be a big-league regular yet. Maybe he will, but it’s likely he won’t given his level of production historically against right-handed pitching.
Abraham Toro signed a minors deal in the offseason. He’s a career 81 wRC+ with an 84 against righties.
That leaves Vaughn Grissom, who only has six games played at first in his pro career (three errors), Nathan Hickey, who is non-40-man and has a 77 wRC+ with a 26.7% strikeout rate in Triple-A, and Blaze Jordan, who still sits in Double-A.
First base is not a high-value position, but you actively pursued trade possibilities with Casas all offseason. What was your plan if you’d found a partner? Even still, he’s missed several weeks, at minimum, every year since 2022, with various injuries. You knew that even if you had Casas, there was a chance he’d miss time.
Dominic Smith, who thrived in Boston a season ago, signed a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees. Jon Singleton, who had a 124 wRC+ against righties last year for Houston, signed a minor-league deal with the New York Mets. Garrett Cooper, who you liked enough to trade for last year despite his struggles after acquiring, signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves. Options existed.
You went with Abraham Toro, arguably the worst despite the youngest of the four. He’s also the least-experienced first baseman. Just some food for thought.
Again, this marks twice in three months that Breslow has asked Devers to cover up his shortcomings. Would it be nice if the team’s highest-paid player was more open-minded? In a perfect world, absolutely. But he isn’t. Not everybody is.
He’s clearly a creature of routine and not fond of change, hence his willingness to sign an extension with no opt-outs under, presumptively, the impression he would remain the team’s third baseman longer than two more seasons. While Breslow didn’t give Devers the richest contract in team’s history, he can’t turn him into somebody he’s not.
Is it a bit extreme to publicly call Breslow out and say he needs to do his job and address the position? Yes. But he’s telling the truth.
Well said as always Jordan!
Joey Meneses had success w/the Nats in 22 & 23. I wouldn't mind seeing him in Boston if Raffy doesn't want to make the transition.