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Angels, Buck Farmer Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed pitcher Buck Farmer, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports. Farmer had been a free agent since mid-April, when the Braves released him from a minor league deal.

Farmer, 34, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Tigers. After moving into a full-time bullpen role in 2018, he was a solid middle reliever for Detroit for three seasons, pitching 158 1/3 innings with 29 holds and a 3.92 ERA from 2018-20. He was never an overpowering presence on the mound, and indeed, many of his underlying metrics suggested his ERA in that span was unsustainable. Still, he was a reliable inning eater out of the bullpen for some mediocre Tigers teams that desperately needed those innings. Unfortunately, he struggled so badly in 2021 that he was designated for assignment and passed through waivers twice. The first time, the Tigers sent him outright to Triple-A. The second time, he was granted his release.

After a brief stint in the Rangers’ minor league system, Farmer resuscitated his career with the Reds. Across three seasons in Cincinnati from 2022-24, he pitched to a 3.68 ERA and a 3.99 SIERA over 193 innings. Rarely did he enter in high-leverage spots, but even so, he was a key player in the Reds’ bullpen all three years. In that time, only 15 relievers threw more innings than Farmer. That’s all the more impressive considering it took him some time to establish himself in 2022, and he only threw 47 innings in the majors that year.

Despite his solid, dependable performance over the previous three seasons, Farmer was only able to land a minor league deal this winter, which he signed just days before spring training began. He struggled in five spring appearances with the Braves, giving up four runs on eight hits and four walks. His struggles continued at Triple-A, where he gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Nonetheless, Farmer’s big league track record, and particularly his time with the Reds, speaks louder than his poor performance in a handful of spring training and Triple-A appearances. Thus, it’s hardly surprising that he landed a new minor league deal, and one would have to think his chances of returning to the majors are much better with the Angels than they were with the Braves. Indeed, just a few days ago, the Angels selected the contracts of two veteran relievers whom they had signed to minor league deals: Héctor Neris and Connor Brogdon. Angels relievers have an ugly 7.15 ERA this season, and their bullpen ranks second-to-last in the majors in FanGraphs WAR. So, if Farmer pitches well at Triple-A, L.A. won’t have trouble making room for him in the big league bullpen.

Astros Place Hayden Wesneski On Injured List Due To Elbow Discomfort

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The Astros announced Friday that right-hander Hayden Wesneski is being placed on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his right elbow. Right-hander Logan VanWey will be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Wesneski’s spot on the roster. An exact diagnosis or expected timetable for Wesneski’s return has not been provided. His IL placement is retroactive to May 7.

It’s ominous any time a pitcher hits the injured list due to a nebulous designation such as “elbow discomfort.” Teams will typically provide further details — specific symptoms, diagnoses, timetables, etc. — not long after making announcements such as this one. The Astros are notoriously tight-lipped with any and all medical updates, however, so time will tell when they opt to divulge more information.

Regardless, the loss of Wesneski stings. One of three players acquired from the Cubs in exchange for Kyle Tucker, he opened the season in Houston’s rotation and has played a key role. His most recent start (four runs in four innings) bumped his ERA up to 4.50, but Wesneski had been sitting at a solid 3.86 mark prior. His most recent appearance was the first time in 2025 that he worked fewer than five innings and the first time he yielded more than three runs in a start.

Houston only just welcomed Lance McCullers Jr. back from an injury absence of more than two years. He joined Wesneski, Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Ronel Blanco in manager Joe Espada’s rotation, bumping rookie Ryan Gusto a long relief role. With Wesneski down for at least two weeks, it seems likely that Gusto will step back into the starting five, although Houston has righty AJ Blubaugh and lefty Colton Gordon both on the 40-man roster down in Triple-A.

Whoever steps into the rotation vacancy could be looking at an abbreviated stint on the starting staff. Certainly, the ’Stros will hope for a swift return for Wesneski. But even if he requires an absence of some note, other reinforcements could be on the way. Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti has been out since April 7 with a fractured thumb, but the Astros’ original hope was that he’d be able to return in about six weeks. That timetable might be hard to meet if he’s yet to resume throwing, but there’s yet to be any indication that he’s facing a substantially longer absence than originally hoped. Prospect Miguel Ullola has been dominant in his two most recent Triple-A appearances, tossing 10 scoreless innings and allowing only two hits and three walks while punching out 15. Looking further down the road, the club hopes to have righty Cristian Javier back later in the summer after he underwent Tommy John surgery last June.

Generally speaking, the Astros are reasonably well equipped to handle one loss of note in the rotation. A second injury, particularly one to Brown or Valdez, would prove a far greater test to the organization’s depth.

Brewers Designate Vinny Capra For Assignment

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The Brewers announced Friday that they’ve designated infielder Vinny Capra for assignment. Infielder Andruw Monasterio and lefty Bryan Hudson have been recalled from Triple-A Nashville in a pair of corresponding moves. (Righty Elvin Rodriguez was optioned to Nashville yesterday, hence the recall of two players.)

Capra, 28, is out of minor league options and thus cannot be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers. He homered on Opening Day but has been in a lengthy slump ever since, recently snapping an 0-for-32 with a single. That prolonged cold spell leaves Capra with an eyesore of a batting line: .074/.121/.130. Between this year’s struggles and his sparse track record prior to 2025, Capra is just a .105/.170/.163 hitter in 96 big league plate appearances.

It’s a rough look, certainly, but the versatile infielder has unsurprisingly been worlds better in Triple-A. He’s appeared in parts of four seasons at the top minor league level and slashed .271/.366/.384 with 15 homers, 45 doubles, three triples, 21 steals (in 27 tries), a 12.2% walk rate and just a 16.5% strikeout rate. He’s compiled those results while splitting time between shortstop, second base, third base and (much more briefly) all three outfield positions.

Capra started five of Milwaukee’s first seven games but has seen his playing time diminish amid that cold snap and following the Brewers’ promotion of Caleb Durbin, whom they acquired from the Yankees in the offseason Devin Williams trade. Durbin hasn’t exactly seized an everyday spot with authority, but his .224/.313/.328 performance is a clear improvement over Capra and the already-optioned Oliver Dunn. Brewers third basemen have been far and away the least-productive group at the position in all of MLB this year, hitting just .168/.221/.256 (33 wRC+).

The Brewers will have five days to trade Capra. If no deal comes together by then, he’d need to be placed on outright waivers or release waivers. He can be waived at any point beforehand, but waivers are a 48-hour process and, by rule, his DFA must be resolved within a week’s time. If Capra clears outright waivers, he’ll stick with the organization as a depth option. He does not have the requisite service time or prior outright needed to elect free agency after going unclaimed.

Rangers Select Sam Haggerty

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The Rangers have selected outfielder Sam Haggerty’s contract from Triple-A Round Rock, the team announced. In a corresponding move, fellow outfielder Dustin Harris has been optioned to Triple-A. The Rangers had an open spot on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary.

Following five seasons with the Mariners, Haggerty moved on to a new AL West club after Seattle non-tendered him this offseason. He was a productive bat for the M’s from 2022-23, producing a .727 OPS and a 113 wRC+ in 309 PA, but he missed most of 2024 after tearing his Achilles tendon. The Rangers added him on a minor league deal in February. He failed to win a job out of spring training and packed his bags for Round Rock to begin the year.

Harris had been with the big league club since Wyatt Langford went on the IL in early April. He hit well enough over his first handful of games to stick around when Langford returned. However, he went 1-for-18 over his last 20 plate appearances, with a single, two walks, and six strikeouts. Meanwhile, Haggerty has been swinging a hot bat at Triple-A. Over the past three weeks, he hit .347 with an .879 OPS and a 129 wRC+. Furthermore, as a switch-hitter with MLB reps at all three bases and all three outfield spots, he offers the Rangers more versatility and experience. It’s only been a few years since Harris was widely considered a top-10 prospect in the Rangers organization. While his prospect sheen has faded, he is still just 25, and some more time at Triple-A could surely do him some good. Haggerty, on the other hand, has little to learn or prove in the minors. He’ll turn 31 later this month and has played in parts of six big league seasons.

Although he bats from both sides of the plate, Haggerty has much more impressive numbers in 216 career PA against left-handed pitchers than he does in his 260 career PA against righties. He has walked more and struck out less against southpaws, and he’s hit seven of his nine career home runs as a righty batter. The Rangers currently rank 21st in MLB with a .622 OPS and a 79 wRC+ against left-handed pitching, due in large part to the struggles of hitters like Corey Seager and Adolis García. Haggerty is no solution to that problem, but the Rangers will hope he can offer a bit of help off the bench. A fast runner with 33 career steals in 36 attempts, Haggerty can also help the Rangers on the basepaths; they currently rank 14th in stolen bases and 13th in FanGraphs baserunning value.

Rays Select Connor Seabold, Transfer Ha-Seong Kim To 60-Day IL

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The Rays have selected the contract of right-hander Connor Seabold from Triple-A Durham, as first reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. To open roster space, the Rays optioned righty Mason Englert to Durham and transferred infielder Ha-Seong Kim to the 60-day injured list. The team has since announced the moves.

Seabold, 29, is a former top prospect in the Phillies and Red Sox organizations who’s struggled to find his footing in the majors. He’s pitched in parts of three seasons between the Red Sox and Rockies, working to a combined 8.12 ERA in 108 2/3 innings. His 16.6% strikeout rate is well below average, though the right-hander carries a sharp 7.3% walk rate. Home runs have been his downfall; he’s surrendered a whopping 25 long balls in his career (2.07 homers per nine innings pitched).

That said, Seabold pitched well for the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization last year and has had decent start in Durham. He piled up 160 innings in the KBO last season and notched a 3.43 earned run average. Seabold punched out 23.8% of his opponents with the Lions and limited walks at a strong 6% clip. He’s pitched 27 2/3 innings with the Bulls this season (five starts, one relief appearance) and logged a 4.55 ERA, 22.4% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. Seabold is sitting just 90.9 mph with his four-seamer — down from the 92.5 mph he averaged in his most recent MLB work — but is relying on the pitch less. He’s throwing more changeups and sliders than in the past and has notched an impressive 13.5% swinging-strike rate.

Kim’s move to the 60-day injured list comes as little surprise. There’d been some thought that in a best-case scenario, he could be recovered from last October’s shoulder surgery by mid-May. Late last month, the Rays suggested it’d be closer to mid-June or perhaps even July before Kim was ready. The 29-year-old hasn’t had a setback, but the Rays are taking his progression slowly and cautiously.

Kim signed with the Rays on a two-year, $29MM deal over the winter. That contract affords him the opportunity to opt out at season’s end. It’s impossible to tell which way he’ll go with regard to that decision until he gets back to the field and we see how he performs in the wake of a major shoulder procedure. Kim hit .250/.336/.385 with plus defense at three infield spots and plus baserunning across the past three years in San Diego. Once he’s healthy, he’s expected to slot in as the Rays’ primary shortstop, though his versatility opens up several paths to get him into the lineup, depending on the health and performance of the rest of Tampa Bay’s infield mix in the weeks ahead.

The move from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL is largely procedural. It does not reset the clock, so to speak, on Kim’s IL stint. He’s required to be on the injured list for 60 days dating back to his original placement on the 10-day IL. He’s already logged 47 days of IL time and wasn’t going to be ready for activation within the next 13 anyhow, so today’s shift doesn’t impact his expected return in any meaningful capacity.

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Braves Designate Eddie Rosario For Assignment

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The Braves announced Friday that they’ve designated outfielder Eddie Rosario for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to infielder Luke Williams, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Rosario’s latest Braves stint will last under two weeks. He signed a big league deal back on April 28 after being cut loose by the Dodgers. Atlanta gave him only four plate appearances across three games this time around. The 33-year-old veteran went hitless in that minuscule sample. He’s 1-for-8 with a single between his limited stints with the Dodgers and Braves in 2025.

Of course, Rosario is no stranger to Atlanta. The Braves acquired him from the Guardians in a salary-dump deal at the 2021 trade deadline, and Rosario caught absolute fire down the stretch, helping to fuel an improbable World Series victory for an Atlanta club that was under .500 at the trade deadline. He re-signed on a two-year deal and also returned for a short stint in 2024. He’s spent the better part of the past five years in a Braves uniform but carries a tepid .235/.283/.413 batting line in that time — with most of his damage coming during that sizzling 2021 run.

Rosario was a solid regular with the Twins for the majority of his early career, but his best full-season production since leaving in 2021 have been league-average performances in 2021 and 2023. He’s struggled immensely outside those two seasons and carries an overall .231/.277/.394 slash in his past 1525 major league plate appearances (81 wRC+). The Braves will have a week to resolve Rosario’s DFA, though the likely outcome is that he’ll either be released or reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

As for Williams, he’s also returning for a third go-around with Atlanta. He appeared with the Braves in each of the past two seasons but turned in a .164/.233/.218 showing in 61 plate appearances. He’s struggled even more than that in Gwinnett this season, hitting only .132/.205/.145 in 83 trips to the plate. He’ll add a right-handed bat with experience at all four infield positions and all three outfield positions to manager Brian Snitker’s bench.

Royals Notes: Outfield, Caglianone, Harvey

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The Royals enter the weekend with the American League’s fourth-best record (23-16) and in possession of the league’s second Wild Card spot. Their starting rotation, as highlighted by MLBTR’s Anthony Franco yesterday, looks exceptional. Their top four relievers, by workload, have ERAs of 2.65 or better.

Pitching was never going to be the question with this Kansas City roster, however — at least as long as they stayed mostly healthy. (So far, so good.) The lineup was a far more glaring question heading into the season. Kansas City traded from its rotation depth in an effort to bolster the lineup over the winter, sending Brady Singer to Cincinnati in return for Jonathan India. The move hasn’t panned out as hoped just yet. India’s .340 on-base percentage is strong, but he’s hitting .237 and slugging .313.

But while India hasn’t been as productive as hoped, he’s hardly the culprit in the Royals’ lackluster offense overall. Rather, that lies primarily in the outfield. Kansas City outfielders have been the second-worst offensive unit in the majors, by measure of wRC+ (72). Their collective .229/.286/.332 batting line is 28% worse than league-average when viewed through that lens.

Drew Waters has provided some offense, but MJ Melendez was optioned to Triple-A after an awful start recently. Center fielder Kyle Isbel is a strong defender but currently has a .253 on-base percentage; he’s walked once in 98 plate appearances. Hunter Renfroe’s already disappointing 2024 production has declined even further, making his signing all the more regrettable for the club.

The Royals’ outfield was woefully unproductive in 2024 as well. Early last May, in a piece for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, I explored the team’s near decade-long drought when it comes to developing outfielders. In essence they haven’t drafted/developed or traded for/developed an above-average outfielder since the days of Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain. Suffice it to say, a lack of outfield production isn’t new. Since 2019, no team’s outfield has produced a lower wRC+ than Kansas City’s 83 — and that’s including 916 plate appearances of better-than-average production from Andrew Benintendi, who was acquired as an already-established big leaguer. The Royals’ homegrown outfielders have struggled even more.

The hope within the organization is that top prospect Jac Caglianone, last year’s No. 6  overall pick, can end that drought. Caglianone starred as a first baseman at the University of Florida, but with Vinnie Pasquantino set at first base, the Royals have given the former Gator a few looks in right field. He’s made five starts there, all of which have come in the past 15 days.

Caglianone is just 22 and has yet to even play in Triple-A, but his bat has been so prodigious that there are increasing calls to bring him to the majors as soon as possible. One glance at his .328/.404/.586 slash line and eight homers in 136 plate appearances in Double-A makes it easy to understand the reason for that clamor.

Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star took a look this week at Caglianone’s possible timeline to the majors and spoke to Kansas City GM J.J. Picollo about the possibility of a promotion. Picollo spoke in general terms but was, of course, complimentary of Caglianone and optimistic about his outlook.

“We like what he’s doing. We’re happy with what he’s doing,” said the GM. “We’re trying to allow him to develop properly as a hitter, and when this offense settles in, that might be a proper time for him to come up.”

McDowell points out that Caglianone has still only faced faced a repeat opponent once this year. His second meeting with said team brought a very different approach from their pitchers. He was attacked differently and had some uncomfortable swings. Caglianone’s contact rate on pitches within the strike zone, his overall swinging-strike rate (currently a lofty 14.5%) and his chase rate on balls off the plate are all elements the team is considering.

“…[W]hen you get a strike thrown to you in the major leagues and you don’t do something with it, that’s a missed opportunity,” Picollo added. “You might get that second opportunity in the minor leagues, but you’re not going to in the major leagues.”

While the Royals wait for Caglianone to check the necessary boxes, they’ve at least contemplated alternatives. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Royals considered placing a claim for outfielder Leody Taveras when the Rangers placed him on outright waivers but held off due to the financial commitment it would have required. Taveras is earning $4.75MM in 2025 and had about $3.73MM yet to be paid out at the time he was claimed by the Mariners.

On the one hand, it’s understandable if Royals brass took a look at the .231/.285/.350 line produced by Taveras and decided he wasn’t productive enough to merit a claim. On the other, even that sub-par production would still be an improvement over what the Royals have trotted out dating back to last year (and, really, dating back to 2019).

More concerning is the mention that Taveras’ salary might’ve been too steep and cut too heavily into any potential payroll flexibility they’ll have leading into the 2025 trade deadline. Kansas City’s Opening Day payroll of $126MM is the team’s largest since 2017 and the third-largest in franchise history. Under owner John Sherman, who purchased the club from the late David Glass in Nov. 2019, the Royals have averaged a $103MM payroll during 162-game seasons (i.e. excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign).

This year’s spending is already way up relative to Sherman’s prior comfort levels. Balking at a readily available upgrade due to a relatively modest salary would seem to suggest there might not be a ton of cash left in the team’s reserves.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be any upgrades available, of course. The Royals presumably have at least a few million in wiggle room, and there will be affordably priced outfielders, relievers and others on the market. They could also pay a slightly higher price in terms of prospects to persuade trade partners to pay down the salary of any veterans sent to Kansas City. Sherman could be heartened by a strong run through mid-July and simply approve a larger budget to further strengthen his club’s World Series hopes. However it plays out, the Royals seem likely to be eyeing outfield upgrades from within (Caglianone) and from outside the organization as well in the months ahead.

The bullpen could conceivably be an area of focus on the summer trade market as well, though right now it looks like a strength. Kansas City has been without setup man Hunter Harvey for more than a month now, however, due to a strained teres major muscle. Recent updates on him from manager Matt Quatraro weren’t overly encouraging. Via Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Harvey threw live batting practice earlier this week but felt some continued discomfort the following day. Quatraro said they’ll accordingly slow down his throwing progression a bit. While the manager cautioned that it’s “nothing alarming,” that also doesn’t bode well for a return in the short term.

Harvey was terrific to start the season, rattling off 5 1/3 scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and seven strikeouts. He looked far more like he did in the first half of 2024 with the Nationals, before back troubles torpedoed his season shortly following a trade to the Royals. Harvey’s velocity was down noticeably even during that terrific start (97.8 mph average four-seamer in 2024; 95.3 mph average in 2025).

The quartet of Carlos Estevez, Lucas Erceg, Daniel Lynch IV and John Schreiber has produced brilliant results thus far, lessening the urgency to get Harvey back into the fold. Erceg, Scheriber and Evan Sisk are the only healthy Royals relievers with above-average strikeout rates, though, and Sisk has pitched just 2 1/3 innings. Harvey adds an element of power and swing-and-miss that the majority of Quatraro’s bullpen currently lacks, making his efforts to return worth keeping a watchful eye on for Royals fans.

The Opener: Horton, Quintana, AL Central

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world this weekend:

1. Horton to debut:

The Cubs are calling up top pitching prospect Cade Horton this weekend. The 23-year-old was the club’s first-round pick in the 2022 draft and was a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport ahead of the 2024 campaign. He slid down prospect rankings a bit after an injury-marred season last year, but through six starts in 2025 he’s bounced back to peak performance levels. Horton has posted a sparkling 1.24 ERA in 29 innings of work across six starts at Triple-A, and he’s done so while striking out an impressive 30.6% of opponents. Now, he’ll get his first big league opportunity against the Mets and right-hander Tylor Megill (2.50 ERA in seven starts) on Saturday.

2. Quintana to reach milestone:

The Brewers are in Tampa this weekend for a series against the Rays, and tonight’s game will pit veteran southpaw Jose Quintana (2.83 ERA in five starts) against Rays righty Zack Littell (4.61 ERA in seven starts). Quintana, 36, is set to reach a major milestone during today’s start. With 1,998 1/3 innings pitched in his career, the southpaw will reach 2,000 career innings during the second frame of today’s game. The outing will make him just the sixth active player to reach that milestone after Chris Sale joined Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Charlie Morton during his last start with Atlanta. Quintana will be the 450th player in MLB history to reach that mark.

3. AL Central going streaking:

The AL Central sent three teams to the postseason last year (Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City), and the beginning of the 2025 season has already raised the possibility of a repeat. Not only have the Tigers emerged as the top club in the American League with a 25-13 start that ties them with the Dodgers for baseball’s best record, but the division once again has three teams in playoff position.

That’s been spurred on by a series of win streaks all around the AL Central. Detroit has won four straight, and the second-place Guardians have won two in a row (and seven of their past ten). Even more impressive are the ongoing streaks in Kansas City (six games) and Minnesota (five games). These hot stretches have allowed the Royals to grab the second-most wins in the AL behind Detroit, while Minnesota has managed to mostly dig itself out of a dreadful start to the season with an 18-20 record that puts them just two games back of a Wild Card spot.

Will any of these clubs be able to keep the good times rolling this weekend? All four are at home. The Tigers host a struggling Rangers club that just shook up its coaching staff. The Royals host a Red Sox series embroiled in drama regarding Rafael Devers’ position. The Twins and Guardians will each take on one of the NL’s top teams, hosting the Giants and Phillies, respectively.

Rafael Devers Unwilling To Play First Base

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Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers spoke to members of the media today, including Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. Devers said that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow recently asked him about playing first base in the wake of the Triston Casas injury. Devers said that he is unwilling to take up the position, adding that the club told him to put away his glove when they moved him from third base to designated hitter this winter. He feels that the team has now gone back on its word. He also responded “Sí, claro” when asked if he was upset by the request.

“I know I’m a ballplayer,” Devers said, via translator, relayed by Speier, “but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there. In break 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 DH. So right now, I just feel like it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.” Devers added this about Breslow,  per Speier, “I’m not certain what (issue) he has with me. He played ball, and I would like to think that he knows that changing positions like that isn’t easy.” Speier relayed more from Devers: “Here in the clubhouse, thankfully, the relationship that I have with my teammates is great. I don’t understand some of the decisions that the GM makes. Next thing you know, someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield.” As for the first base spot, Devers seems to think an external addition is the answer, per Christopher Smith of MassLive: “Now I think they should do their job essentially and hit the market and look for another player (to play first base). I’m not sure why they want me to be in between the way they have me now.”

Perhaps he will alter that stance in time but he seems to be taking a strong stand for now. Per Smith, Devers doesn’t think there’s a chance he’ll change his mind. “I don’t think so. They told me I’m a little hard-headed. They already asked me to change once and this time I don’t think I can be as flexible.”

It’s been a strange few months in terms of the relationship between Devers and the Red Sox. Throughout the winter, the club was connected to third basemen Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado, despite Devers seemingly having that spot locked down. Devers has never been a strong defender, so there was some on-paper logic to the consideration of moving him elsewhere, but there was the question about Devers himself and how he would feel about being displaced. The two sides had agreed to a nine-figure extension in January of 2023, a contract which runs through 2033, so the long-term relationship would obviously be a real consideration.

Breman remained unsigned into the middle of February. The Sox scooped him up at that time on a three-year, $120MM deal, though one with notable deferrals and opt-outs after each season. The club didn’t immediately come out and declare their intentions in terms of defensive alignment and Devers was adamant that he would stick at third base. He said that he had been promised by the club that he could stay at the hot corner for the long term. Manager Álex Cora dismissed that promise because “That was under Chaim,” referring to former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. The Sox fired Bloom towards the end of the 2023 season and eventually replaced him with Breslow.

It soon became clear that the Sox wanted Bregman, the superior defender, to take over at third. Devers would be the club’s full-time designated hitter, not even playing the field occasionally. “Raffy is going to DH,” Cora said in March. “We had a conversation, we talked about it. He’s DHing. He’s the DH of the Boston Red Sox. One thing is we don’t want him to overthink it. Don’t get caught up in the whole thing. He’ll be OK.”

Though Devers was clearly not happy with being moved off his position, reportedly even thinking about asking for a trade at one point, he did strike a more amicable tone eventually. In the middle of March, with the start of the season just about two weeks away, he said: “I’m good to do whatever they want me to do,” he said. “I’m here to help. I’ve already spoken with them about that, and they know where I stand. I’m just ready to play.”

That all seemed to be working fine enough for the first few weeks of the season, until Casas suffered his aforementioned injury. A ruptured left patellar tendon last week led to knee surgery for Casas and he is going to miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign.

That quickly led to speculation about Devers being a good fit to replace Casas. In the initial aftermath of the injury, the Sox used guys like Romy González and Abraham Toro to cover the position. Those two have generally been light-hitting utility guys in their careers, less than ideal solutions for a bat-first position like first base.

Moving Devers into the spot would seemingly make things easier for the Sox. While learning a new position midseason would certainly be a challenge, first base is generally considered to be lower than third base on the defensive spectrum, with many subpar third basemen having become adequate first basemen over the years. Doing so would also free up the DH spot, opening up more at-bats for players other players. Outfield prospect Roman Anthony and infield prospect Marcelo Mayer are both somewhat blocked from regular playing time at the moment. It’s also tough to find a spot for Masataka Yoshida, currently on the injured list, as he’s also an outfielder. A poor defender, he was the club’s primary designated hitter last year.

Cora has publicly said a few times recently that he hasn’t asked Devers about the switch, but it appears the Red Sox privately considered the plan and Breslow initiated the conversation, which Devers didn’t take kindly to.

From his perspective, it’s understandably been a jarring half year. As of a few months ago, he thought he was Boston’s third baseman and seemingly felt secure in that role. Now he’s been shaken from that security and has been asked to adapt.

Still, his response has been bizarre and hasn’t always reflected well on him. It’s pretty rare for a player to refuse to do something his team asks of him. In fact, there have been dozens of players over the years who have switched positions in order to help their team. Learning first base might not be Devers’ ideal outcome but there’s little harm in exploring the possibility by taking some grounders and feeling it out, especially if the team thinks it can help them win some more games in the long run. Though Devers maintains the clubhouse rapport is good, it’s fair to wonder if any of his teammates are upset about this hardline stance, since it’s doesn’t appear to be a team-first decision.

Additionally, when discontent develops between a team and a player, efforts are usually made to keep it private. It’s especially uncommon for a player to criticize his team’s front office leader, especially for making a fairly understandable inquiry.

It’s inevitable more developments are forthcoming with this story. For now, it appears Devers will stay in the DH spot. If the Sox are unhappy with his refusal, there’s not too much they can do about it. Whatever drama has been happening off the field doesn’t seem to be impacting him at the plate. He has a .246/.370/.430 batting line and 123 wRC+ this year, even though he went hitless in his first five games of the season. They surely don’t want to subtract that bat from the lineup.

For the record, Devers does not have no-trade protection in his contract, so they technically could just run him out of town if they really wanted to. But there’s no indication that is a consideration or even a remote possibility. Even if they did come to a point of wanting him gone, shipping out a contract that still runs for eight-plus years and has far more than $200MM left on it is hard to move at any point. That would be especially true in the middle of a season, when clubs have mostly spent their budgets. Also, other clubs are surely aware of the public drama and would try to use it as leverage in any talks if Breslow called them up.

Unless more developments arise, it seems Devers will stick in the DH spot. The Sox will try to cover first base with guys like González and Toro, at least for now, though it’s possible they could pursue first basemen in the coming weeks and months.

As for the relationship between Devers and the Sox, this surely isn’t the last we’ll hear about it. As mentioned, Bregman can opt out of his contract after this season and seems to be trending towards doing so, since he’s having a great year. There may eventually be questions about whether Devers would be an option to retake that spot in 2026 or if the club would want to keep him as a DH for the rest of his contract, while someone like Mayer or Trevor Story or Kristian Campbell takes over at third. That means more twists and turns are fairly inevitable, in a saga that has already had plenty.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images.

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