Red Sox: Breslow Admits Devers Contract Talk Error
Red Sox chief Baseball Officer craig Breslow admits the team erred in its handling of Rafael Devers before the stunning trade to the Giants. Breslow acknowledged “fair criticism” regarding discussions about a potential position change before signing Alex Bregman. The Boston Red Sox mishandled the situation, leading to Devers’ surprising departure and a costly lesson for the team. Analysts believe this blunder, which involved a $313.5 million investment in the primary_keyword, could have been avoided with better communication. Get the full story, and stay ahead of the curve; News directory 3 provides breaking updates. Discover what’s next in the MLB landscape.
Teh Rafael Devers era in Boston is over. The third baseman is now a San Francisco Giant,with an introductory press conference set for Tuesday. In return, the Red Sox acquired pitcher Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and two prospects, severing their last tie too the 2018 World Series team.
One day after the blockbuster trade reverberated around Major league Baseball, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow and team president sam Kennedy addressed the media Monday, with Breslow admitting he second-guessed his dialog with Devers throughout the season.
Breslow conceded it was “totally fair criticism” that the Red Sox should have discussed a potential position change with Devers before signing Alex Bregman, according to the Boston Herald.
breslow says it would be a “totally fair criticism” to say that the Red Sox should have been more upfront with Devers about a potential position change during the offseason before they signed Bregman.
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) June 17, 2025
He added that he constantly reflects on his handling of the situation, per Mac Cerullo of the Herald.
craig Breslow says he thinks about the way he handled his offseason communication with Rafael Devers all the time and whether or not his approach was the right one.
— Mac Cerullo (@maccerullo) June 17, 2025
The comments confirmed the widespread belief that the Red Sox mishandled the situation. After signing Bregman, a Gold Glove third baseman, the team asked devers to move to designated hitter during spring training.
Later, when first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury, Breslow reportedly asked Devers to switch positions again, this time to first base, which reportedly surprised Devers.
Rafael Devers: “it was the GM that I spoke with. I’m not sure what he has with me. He played ball and I would like to think he knows that changing positions like that isn’t easy.”
The conversation happened with chief baseball officer craig Breslow, a former big league reliever
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) May 8, 2025
“I’m not sure what he has with me,” Devers said of Breslow in May, according to Christopher Smith of the Herald.
Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Now, with Devers gone, fans are left to wonder what might have been, and Breslow is apparently among them.
Kennedy echoed this sentiment, telling reporters that ”there’s blame to go around on all sides when you can’t get to alignment on what’s best for the team.”
Sam Kennedy: “There’s blame to go around on all sides when you can’t get to alignment on what’s best for the team.”
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) June 17, 2025
While Kennedy declined to specify what the Red Sox wanted from Devers, his refusal to play first base appeared to be a key factor.
Given the Red Sox’s $313.5 million investment in Devers through a 10-year contract signed before the 2023 season, their failure to secure his willingness to change positions is noteworthy. Had Kennedy and Breslow addressed this issue earlier, signing Bregman might not have triggered the chain of events leading to the midseason trade.
The Boston Red Sox face an expensive lesson.
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