Latest news with #AlexBregman
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rafael Devers makes 1B debut for Giants after declining to play position for Red Sox
After declining to do so for the Boston Red Sox, Rafael Devers has put on his glove to play first base for the San Francisco Giants. The Giants announced Tuesday that Devers would start at first base Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves. The game marks the first time in his career that Devers has played the position. And it's the first time this season that he's played in the field at any position after a contentious dispute with the Red Sox over where he would play. A three-time All-Star slugger, Devers played eight-plus seasons with the Red Sox, primarily as their third baseman. His relationship with the Red Sox deteriorated this season over a conflict about where he would — or ultimately wouldn't — play in the field for Boston. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Dispute over position landed Devers in SF Boston signed two-time Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason, a move that ultimately put the Red Sox in a precarious position. Bregman was the no-brainer choice to play third base for Boston instead of Devers, who is statistically one of the worst third basemen in baseball. Devers was also the most veteran Red Sox presence in Boston's clubhouse and the only remaining player on the roster from Boston's 2018 World Series championship team. And he didn't want to give up his position. Devers said in spring training that he was not open to moving to designated hitter to make way for Bregman on the field. But Bregman started the season at third base, and Devers moved to designated hitter, against his wishes. Then the Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas to injury for the rest of the season. Devers told reporters that the Red Sox asked him to take over at first base, and he refused, with the following explanation: 'They came to me and talked to me about it,' Devers told reporters on May 8 of the request to play first. 'I know I'm a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can't expect me to play every single position out there. "In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove. I wasn't going to play another position other than DH. Right now, I don't think it would be an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.' Devers remained at designated hitter and played all 73 of his games for Boston this season at the position. The dispute ultimately compelled the Red Sox to trade Devers to the Giants in June. Devers has since played designated hitter for the Giants. But San Francisco made the move on Monday to try him out in the field. Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith had previously split time at first base for the Giants this season. On Monday, Smith was not in the lineup, and Flores was batting sixth, taking Devers' usual place as San Francisco's designated hitter.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Ownership can't let Alex Bregman be a one-and-done Red Sox like Adrian Beltré in 2010
The Red Sox cannot let Alex Bregman become the Adrian Beltré of this decade, a perfect fit (at third base, no less) who doesn't stick around, a what-could-have-been one-and-done in Boston. They need to get him signed, even if the terms sting a little, and even if the length of the deal brings pause. Bregman, the rock-solid Astros star, left Houston after eight seasons, two World Series titles, and, uh, one noisy scandal, to sign a three-year, $120 million dollar contract with the Red Sox in February. But anyone who paid attention to the details — and the leverage Bregman and his agent, the renowned Scott Boras, secured — recognized that it was only Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Alex Bregman has historically had good numbers at Fenway Park, including a 1.029 OPS. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Advertisement The contract included opt outs after this season as well as 2026. So if he proved to be a good fit with the Red Sox and produced at his usual reliable-to-excellent rate, he could go back on the market, and at the very least try to wring even better terms out of the Red Sox. Well, you know what has happened. He's in position to do some wringin'. Save for a quad injury that cost him 43 games from May 23 until his July 11 return, Bregman has been exactly what the Red Sox need on the field and off. Advertisement Alex Bregman (top) missed about six weeks with a quad injury, returning shortly before the All-Star break. Barry Chin/Globe Staff A Gold Glove winner for the first time last season, Bregman has played his usual stellar defense at third base, which has helped stabilize a Red Sox infield that was held hostage to some degree by current Giants invisible man Rafael Devers's defensive shortcomings in recent seasons. He has a righthanded swing tailor-made for Fenway, and has mashed there to a .314/.423/.605 slash line in 222 career plate appearances, which is getting into Fred Lynn, This-Guy-Was-Born-To-Hit-Here territory. (Lynn slashed .347/.420/.601 in 1,833 plate appearances at Fenway, and this is where you say 'He'd be in Cooperstown if he'd stayed here his whole career' and I nod in agreement.) Yet Bregman has hit even better on the road in his first year with the Red Sox, with a .950 OPS and eight homers on the road, compared to .866 and four homers so far at Fenway. His three-run bomb as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning Sunday at Wrigley Field – which turned a tenuous 2-1 lead into a 5-1 advantage and a chance to exhale against a very talented Cubs team – ranks as one of the more memorable moments of a season that has stacked up more than a few highlights recently. (It should be noted that the homer came off former Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz, who is the lefthanded reliever on the Wait, That Guy Is Still In The Majors? team.) Alex Bregman (right) was excited to extend the Red Sox' lead with a pinch-hit three-run homer Sunday at Wrigley Field. Paul Beaty/Associated Press Fenway suits Bregman, and Bregman suits the Red Sox in ways that extend beyond his palpable value on the field. I'll admit, I've always thought clubhouse leadership — particularly in how veteran players set an example for younger ones — is a bit exaggerated, and sometimes a lot exaggerated. Advertisement Young ballplayers do need to be shown the ropes, to learn the protocols and logistics and do's and don'ts of being a big leaguer, but I also believe their character as human beings, for better or worse, is developed before they get that dream-come-true message that they're headed to the big leagues. But I'll concede that the extremes do matter. I'm sure beyond a doubt that — to offer a specific example — Carl Everett poised the well with some young players on the 2000-01 Red Sox. They learned exactly how not to behave, and mimicked it. And I have come to believe that a player like Bregman — who makes a conscious effort to do everything right within the confines of a ballgame, who makes himself available and shares his knowledge with younger players, and who has the kind of experience, including 99 career playoff games, that demands respect — has great value beyond the numbers on his No, Bregman wasn't chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's most impactful pickup in the offseason. That designation belongs to But Bregman makes for a heck of a runner-up. In many ways, he fills what has been missing from this team since Dustin Pedroia had to retire before his time. Advertisement He's exactly what the Red Sox need now, and at 31 years old, he's the perfect complement going forward as Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer develop into the franchise cornerstones. Maybe it won't be easy to lock him up. While we sometimes forget that Boras works for his clients and not vice versa, players that hire him aren't looking to be someone's bargain. But it must be noted that Xander Bogaerts and Jason Varitek were among those who signed deals here despite Boras believing they could have received more money and/or years elsewhere. In 2010, his only season with the Red Sox, Adrian Beltré led the American League with 49 doubles and hit .321 with 28 home runs and 102 RBIs. Barry Chin Bregman and his family do seem to love Boston, and Fenway certainly has been friendly to him. The Red Sox blew it when they let Beltré — one of the finest third basemen of all time, a joy to watch, and a 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee — get away 15 years ago. They can't make the same mistake with Bregman. The guy made his name, and all that implies for better and worse, in Houston. But he was born to play in Boston. Pay him like you know it. Chad Finn can be reached at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox' Alex Cora outlines plan for when Alex Bregman will play on road trip
CHICAGO — Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman returned from the injured list last Friday after missing 43 games with a right quad strain. Manager Alex Cora outlined the plan for Bregman coming out of the All-Star break. The 31-year-old will play four of the six games on this road trip. He's in the lineup for today's game (Friday) against the Cubs. Cora said Bregman also will play Saturday, then receive an off day Sunday. The Red Sox then head to Philadelphia to play three games against the Phillies on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Cora said the plan is for Bregman to play Monday and Tuesday, then receive Wednesday off. Boston has a scheduled off day Thursday before returning to Fenway Park to host the Dodgers next Friday. 'Get Wednesday and Thursday off and then hopefully by Friday he's a full go,' Cora said. Bregman attended the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game on Monday, then flew home Tuesday. Bregman worked out Wednesday at home, then participated in the Red Sox' optional team practice at Wrigley Field on Thursday. 'He's in a good spot,' Cora said. 'He was able to bounce back from that series (last weekend vs. Tampa). He felt good on Monday.' More Red Sox coverage What Boston Red Sox' Lucas Giolito 'hates' is backed up by statistics Boston Red Sox first baseman: 'I've got to put the blame on me' Red Sox reactions: Baserunning blunder, early hole ends 10-game win streak Red Sox' Alex Cora was at Coldplay show for viral incident during 'good' break Red Sox not ruling out optioning Tanner Houck to Worcester, no decision made yet Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox reactions: Alex Bregman delivers pinch-hit 3-run HR in comeback win
CHICAGO — Instant reactions from the Red Sox' 6-1 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday: 1) Boston improved to 54-47. The Cubs dropped to 59-40. 2) The Red Sox didn't hold a single lead through the first 24 innings of this series before Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run homer with no outs in the seventh to put them ahead 2-1. Abreu also hit a solo homer in the eighth inning to put Boston ahead 6-1. It was his fifth career multi-homer game and fourth this season. 3) Alex Bregman broke the game open with a pinch-hit three-run home run in the eighth inning, making it 5-1 Boston. Bregman pinch hit for Masataka Yoshida against lefty Drew Pomeranz. He connected on an 83.4 mph knuckle-curve and sent it 402 feet to left field. Bregman is 3-for-7 with two home runs in his career as a pinch hitter. 4) For a third straight game, the Cubs scored first against Boston. Ace Garrett Crochet allowed hits to Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson to lead off the second inning. Crow-Armstrong was caught stealing third after a rundown that Crochet initiated. Swanson reached second on the rundown and scored on Ian Happ's RBI single to right field, making it 1-0 Cubs. 5) Crochet allowed one run, eight hits and two walks while striking out five in 6 innings. It marked his 10th start in which he has allowed one or zero runs in 6 or more innings. He escaped a bases loaded jam in the fifth inning when he got Carson Kelly to ground into a force-out. He also pitched around a leadoff double in the sixth to keep it 1-0. 6) Center fielder Jarren Duran collided with left fielder Masataka Yoshida when Yoshida caught Ian Happ's fly out to end the bottom of the fourth inning. Luckily, neither player was injured. It was Yoshida's first start in the outfield since Oct. 1, 2023. Manager Alex Cora initially had Yoshida as the DH and Roman Anthony as the left fielder. But he had them swap positions because Anthony felt 'under the weather.' 7) Despite being under the weather, Anthony stroked two hits out of the DH spot. 8) Carlos Narváez's 111.2 mph double in the eighth was the hardest hit ball of his career. 9) The Red Sox offense did little against Cubs rookie starter Cade Horton who entered 3-3 with a 4.45 ERA. Horton allowed just two hits and three walks while striking out four in 5 ⅔ scoreless innings. 10) The Red Sox will begin a three-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia on Monday. Righty Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.12 ERA) will start for Boston opposite right-hander Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.36 ERA). More Red Sox coverage How Red Sox star Alex Bregman's 'training day' ended in big pinch-hit homer Red Sox lose out on veteran free agent reliever Craig Breslow scouted over weekend (report) Failed bunt led to Boston Red Sox' first lead after 24 innings; 'Big moment' Red Sox CBO pulls back curtain on trade deadline plans Red Sox pitcher 'with nearly unhittable fastball' cracks MLB's Top 100 prospects Read the original article on MassLive.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Wilyer Abreu homers twice as the Red Sox beat the Cubs 6-1 to avoid a sweep
CHICAGO — Wilyer Abreu homered twice and drove in three runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep. Alex Bregman also connected as Boston rallied after managing just one run in its first two games after the All-Star break. Garrett Crochet (11-4) pitched six effective innings in his fourth consecutive win.
