Alex Cora Needs to Get the Most Out of Red Sox Stars

Following what’s been a busy winter for their front office, the Boston Red Sox have lofty expectations for the 2025 season.

Earlier in the offseason, they bolstered their pitching staff substantially with the addition of Walker Buehler and the acquisition of Garrett Crochet.

It didn’t end there though, as more recently their lineup received a jolt of star power after signing the top third baseman on the open market, Alex Bregman, to a lucrative three-year, $120 million contract.

The latter move has been a hot topic in the baseball world for a multitude of reasons.

For one thing, the size of the AAV on Bregman’s contract ($40 million) was a bit of a surprise to some. However, it’s easy to see why the Red Sox paid him the money.

They had one of the best offensive units in the AL last season, and adding Bregman into the mix takes their lineup to a whole new level, making them true contenders heading into 2025.

Additionally, the signing came with some uncertainty regarding Bregman’s fit in Boston’s infield. While it was initially expected that he would take over at second base, the discourse regarding his role got a bit more complex shortly after the signing.

Following a recent media tiff involving superstar Rafael Devers, it’s clear that skipper Alex Cora may have his work cut out for him as he attempts to get all of Boston’s stars on the same page between now and Opening Day.

Where Does Bregman Fit Into the Equation?

When Boston signed Bregman, there were questions as to what his role will be with his new ball club.

The Red Sox obviously already have a franchise cornerstone at third base with Devers, and the organization paid him a hefty amount of money back in January of 2021 to be the ball club’s starting third baseman for the foreseeable future.

Moreover, while Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, claimed Bregman would be willing to shift over to second base, he’s coming off a 2024 campaign in which he won a Gold Glove award at the hot corner.

Given how much the Red Sox are paying him, would a move to second base really maximize Bregman’s potential and overall value?

The answer is likely not, especially considering Devers’ well-documented limitations as a defender.

However, a changing of the guard at third base won’t be that simple.

In a press conference on Monday afternoon, Devers pushed back on the idea of him surrendering the position and made his desires of where he wants to play well known.

“Third base is my position,” Devers told the media. “It’s what I’ve played, I don’t know what their plans are. I know we had a conversation – I made it clear what my desires were, and whatever happens from here, I don’t know.”

When asked how he would respond if the Red Sox asked him to DH, Devers responded with a straightforward response: “No.”

Devers’ stance on a potential position change greatly complicates the dynamic of their lineup. Adding Bregman into the fold was appealing because he allows for much more roster flexibility, but that value is certainly limited if third base is off limits to the Gold Glover.

While moving Bregman to second base makes sense on paper, it could also prevent them from constructing a lineup that maximizes the team’s overall potential.

But Devers is the most important player in the organization, and getting him on board for whichever direction the Red Sox chose to go should be of the utmost importance for Alex Cora.

When addressing the media following Devers’ comments, Cora acknowledged the importance of keeping the superstar happy while also being mindful of what’s best for the team.

“It’s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora. It’s about the Red Sox, and whatever decision we make is for the benefit of the team,” Cora remarked in his interview. How Cora manages his stars could very well be the most important piece of the puzzle for the 2025 Red Sox.

On Tuesday, Cora poured cold water on the idea that there was tension between Bregman and Devers. He assured the media that the two stars are getting along great following a team dinner that occurred on Monday evening, and Bregman himself even indicated that he’s willing to play wherever helps the team win.

Simply putting together the best lineup on paper is only half the battle. Not only will Cora need to assess what’s best for the product on the field, but he also needs to get buy-in from each of his stars in order for this experiment to work.

His ability to facilitate strong clubhouse camaraderie could determine whether or not this team reaches its ceiling in 2025, and it’s encouraging to already see progress in that department at the first sign of potential conflict.

So, What is Best for the Team?

It’s no secret that Devers is one of the most talented hitters in all of baseball. He recently checked in as the second-best third baseman in Major League Baseball, and few would push back if Boston decides to keep their All-Star third baseman at his preferred position.

At the same time, the gap in defensive value between Bregman and Devers is immense.

Since debuting back in 2016, Bregman has 27 career defensive runs saved (DRS) at third base, according to FanGraphs, to go along with a total of 23 outs above average (OAA), per Baseball Savant.

Conversely, since Devers made his debut in 2017, his career DRS sits at -62 to go along with a career OAA of -28. Again, the drop-off in defensive value is jarring.

Earlier this week, our Eric Treuden put together a comprehensive view on Bregman’s fit with the Red Sox.

He looked at several ways the Red Sox could go about constructing their infield, and which route may be the best for team success in 2025. For a thorough deep dive into Bregman’s impact on the rest of the roster, check out Eric’s analysis:

The Red Sox have the pieces to make some serious noise in the AL this coming season. Balancing star power while simultaneously creating a runway for their top prospects to contribute at the big league level is yet another hurdle Cora will have to manage in 2025.

And while that puts a lot of pressure on Cora to get things right, having an abundance of talent is one of the better problems to deal with in MLB. The ability on this roster is undeniable, but Cora’s biggest task may be getting buy-in from his stars on whichever direction they choose to go.

Perhaps it’s an issue that will end up working itself out between now and Opening Day, or maybe it’s a puzzle that doesn’t get solved until a few weeks into the season. Regardless, it’s going to be a fluid situation as Cora works to iron out the wrinkles.

But if he can get all these pieces to fit together, the Red Sox have an extremely high ceiling heading into 2025.