Alex

Bregman

Specifically, Devers said he would be “OK” if he was starting at designated hitter on Opening Day. There had been some hand-wringing about Devers not wanting to move off of third base with Alex Bregman in town, but it was always expected that Devers would do what the team wanted him to do. We should expect to see Devers at DH a lot this season, which should also help his throwing shoulder to stay healthy, while Bregman mans third base and leaves second base for David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom, and Kristian Campbell. In other news, Devers hit a mammoth home run off of Walker Buehler in live batting practice Thursday as well.

The only real question here was whether it by Devers-Bregman or Bregman-Devers in the second and third spots. Either way, teams are going to love throwing left-handed relievers against the top of the Boston order. The Red Sox got their righty bat in Bregman, but he’s performed far more like a left-handed hitter recently; since 2022, he’s hit .221/.319/.385 against lefties and .278/.362/.477 against righties.

Bregman is 8-for-17 with two homers this spring. He still hasn’t played anywhere other than third base, and while that’s supposed to change at some point, the Red Sox haven’t indicated when. It really seems like Boston’s preference here is to use Bregman at third and Rafael Devers at DH. Masataka Yoshida or top prospect Kristian Campbell could see time in left field if Wilyer Abreu opens up on the injured list.

Bregman started at third base, which isn’t worth reading into as Rafael Devers isn’t yet ready for game action. At the plate, the 30-year-old hit a long home run over the left field wall as well as a double off the wall. Bregman looked right at home at the Red Sox spring training park, which is a replica of Fenway Park. He would only add to his fantasy value by switching positions this year and gaining second base eligibility.

Rafael Devers isn’t ready to play third base yet this spring as he continues to work his way back into game shape from an offseason shoulder issues, so it’ll be Bregman getting the nod at the hot corner to open spring training. Cora likely won’t face a decision regarding his starting third baseman for at least a few weeks until there is some clarity regarding whether Devers is healthy enough to play the hot corner on Opening Day. It’s a developing situation fantasy managers should continue to monitor.

Alex Bregman’s arrival complicates the Red Sox’ infield picture to an exponential degree, but early indications are that Campbell and Vaughn Grissom will have a chance to prove they belong in the majors at second base. Caron added that the variable to watch over the next few weeks is whether Rafael Devers is back playing third base roughly midway through spring training. If not, that increases the likelihood that Bregman winds up at third base and Devers shifts to DH with Campbell or Grissom at the keystone. It’s one of the most compelling spring training storylines for fantasy managers to monitor, especially since Campbell’s stolen base upside figures to make him an immediate impact contributor.

“I’m a third baseman,” Devers told reporters on Monday at spring training. Perhaps he would be more open to moving to first base instead of DH, but that doesn’t sound realistic. It’s possible the Red Sox will ultimately play Bregman at second base, but the most likely outcome involves shifting Devers to DH and rolling with Kristian Campbell at second base, where he’s working exclusively this spring. Devers was asked if he wants to be traded and said he hasn’t given that much thought. However, Bregman has the ability to opt out of his contract after the 2025 season, and Devers is signed in Boston for eight more years, which makes it unlikely the Red Sox trade him or force him to a position he doesn’t want to play just for one season. Devers staying at third base would make it much harder for Campbell to see regular playing time, but the top prospect did play five positions last season in the minors, so the Red Sox could easily move him around if they felt his bat was big-league ready. It’s a developing situation fantasy managers should continue monitoring.

It’s hard to imagine Bregman signing with Boston without knowing what position he was going to play, but maybe the Red Sox are still looking at trading Triston Casas or Masataka Yoshida and moving Rafael Devers to first. As the roster stands now, Bregman belongs at second, a position he indicated early in free agency that he was willing to play. While Cora wouldn’t state Bregman’s position, he did say he’d hit in the top third of the order. Jarren Duran first, Devers second and Bregman third probably makes the most sense.

The deal is now official. Bregman is expected to take over as Boston’s starting second baseman and his pull-heavy offensive approach is tailor-made for Fenway Park’s hitter-friendly Green Monster in left field. The 30-year-old infielder remains a strong four-category impact fantasy contributor and should be a near-lock to reach the 25-homer mark in his Red Sox debut. His arrival temporarily blocks top prospect Kristian Campbell at the keystone, but the dynamic speedster should still force his way to the big leagues in short order.

Rome adds that the agreement includes opt-outs following the 2025 and 2026 seasons, respectively. Bregman’s pull-heavy approach is perfectly suited for historic Fenway Park’s iconic Green Monster, which makes it easy to forecast 20-plus homers moving forward. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports Bregman is expected to take over as Boston’s starting second baseman, which keeps franchise cornerstone Rafael Devers at third base, and also virtually guarantees that top prospect Kristian Campbell will open the year back at Triple-A Worcester. It’s an ideal landing spot for Bregman from a pure fantasy standpoint as he’ll likely slot into the second spot on manager Alex Cora’s lineup card and should benefit tremendously from the hitter-friendly AL East ballparks.