The Boston Red Sox saw a two-game winning streak come to an end on Friday as they took a loss to the Kansas City Royals. But that on-field result is likely taking a back seat to a more pressing headline.
Before the game, news surfaced that Red Sox owner John Henry, along with president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, flew to meet the team in Kansas City so that Henry could sit down with franchise slugger Rafael Devers.
Devers publicly criticized the front office in comments to the media on Thursday, decrying their request that he switch positions to fill in for first baseman Triston Casas after a season-ending injury.
It’s not clear what Henry and Devers discussed, specifically, but the team has now revealed its decision on a move to first base for Devers following that sit down.
“That’s not the plan right now,” manager Alex Cora said, when asked if Devers would start practicing at first base, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “The plan is to keep having conversations.”
For now, the Red Sox seem set to continue a platoon between Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro at the position, though Gonzalez might require a stint on the injured list after a collision on the field, Cora noted.
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Even though the team has decided Devers won’t begin a move toward first even after his meeting with Henry, that could always change. First, however, it seems some additional one-on-one meetings would have to take place.
“The first step, whether over the weekend in Kansas City or at a later date in the not-too-distant future, will be an honest conversation between Devers and Breslow, who is the clear source of the slugger’s frustration,” Cotillo added. “Breslow said decisions as big as the one the Red Sox and Devers face don’t just happen overnight. It’s clear the timeframe will be even longer.”
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