Rafael Devers Could Change Stance To Make Space For Roman Anthony, Per Insider

Rafael Devers seemed like he had his mind pretty well made up about playing first base earlier this month.

After Triston Casas went down with a season-ending knee injury, Devers said that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow approached him about making the move to first. Having already been moved off his preferred third base position during the spring, Devers publicly blasted Breslow for having the gall to do so.

The topic of Devers moving to first has been largely silenced over the last couple of weeks, even as Alex Bregman has hit the injured list with a quad strain. Devers seemed resolute in his resistance to the move, and the Red Sox didn't seem eager to rock the boat.

However, one insider believes there could be an X-factor that might sway his decision at some point: number-one prospect Roman Anthony.

On Thursday, Ian Browne of MLB.com suggested it was possible that Devers could volunteer to play first base to open up the DH slot for the club's outfielders, giving them a lane to call up Anthony and get him consistent at-bats.

"Another path could open if Rafael Devers approaches the club at some point and volunteers to play first base, something the club initially broached with him shortly after Triston Casas suffered his season-ending rupture to his left patellar tendon," Browne wrote.

"Devers was reluctant to make the switch when initially asked after moving from third base to DH following the acquisition of Bregman. However, Devers also wants to win, and a return to the field could increase his slumping team’s chances of doing so."

Anthony, 21, has a .955 OPS in 50 games at Triple-A this season, and seemingly has nothing left to prove. But the Red Sox don't want to call him up if he's not going to play virtually every day, and it's hard to do that when three outfield spots and the DH role are all clogged up.

Devers hasn't shown yet this season that he's willing to make sacrifices this big for the good of the team. That's why until this (very reasonable) speculation gets substantiated, Red Sox fans should maintain some healthy skepticism.