Rafael Devers DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reports that Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulders) has been doing separate infield and cage work at spring training as he continues to build up his shoulder program after dealing with injuries to both of his shoulders last year. The Red Sox expect Devers to start doing regular workouts next week, but it's something to keep an eye on moving forward. Boston is probably allowing the 28-year-old to work out separately as a precaution, and even though the team recently signed Alex Bregman, it appears that Devers will stay at the hot corner in 2025, with Bregman moving over to second base. However, if Devers' shoulder injuries linger, he could be ticketed for regular work as the designated hitter. As long as he's healthy, Devers should be considered a top-five fantasy third baseman after hitting 28 homers, driving in 83 and batting .272 in 138 games in 2024.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers said he will not serve as the designated hitter in 2025 if the team asks him to do so. "Third base is my position. I don't know what [the team's] plans are. I made it clear my desires and whatever happens, we'll see," Devers said. The Red Sox recently signed Alex Bregman, but the expectation is that Devers will stay at the hot corner and Bregman will shift to second base. The 28-year-old Devers has started 942 of his 951 MLB games at third base, but he's not as strong as Bregman defensively at third and played through injuries to both of his shoulders in 2024. Masahiro Tanaka is entrenched as the primary DH, with Triston Casas locked in as the full-time starter at first base, so Boston doesn't appear to have a ton of lineup flexibility. Regardless of where Devers plays mostly in 2025, he'll be a regular in the team's starting lineup after hitting 28 homers and driving in 83 last year.

Boston Red Sox chiefs baseball officer Craig Breslow said on Monday that "as of now," Rafael Devers is still the team's starting third baseman. The Red Sox have been very pleased with the work that Devers has put in this offseason. With that said, the club is still open to making the team better any way it can, so it doesn't mean they won't acquire someone like free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, which could move Devers across the diamond to first base or to more of a full-time designated-hitter role. If the 28-year-old were to shift to first base, it would put Triston Casas firmly on the trade block. Another option for the BoSox is to trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. While Devers remained strong offensively for fantasy managers in 2024, his defensive metrics took a hit at the hot corner, and he also dealt with nagging shoulder injuries as a result of diving for balls at third base.