When Rafael Devers signed an 11-year extension with the Red Sox in 2023, he believed it came with the understanding he would be the team’s third baseman for the long term. Just two years into that deal, the Red Sox now have a better defensive third baseman on the roster in the newly signed Alex Bregman.

Bregman has a relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, as Cora was the bench coach for the Astros when they won the World Series in 2017. With that being said, the appeal to join the Red Sox was more than just reuniting with a former mentor.

Rafael Devers turned the hot corner into hot topic material before Alex Bregman had time to back out of a perceived territorial dispute with the Boston Red Sox.