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Red Sox Alex Cora Refutes Wild Rafael Devers Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sterling Bennett | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 3:45 PM ET

Rafael Devers’ displeasure with the Boston Red Sox dates back to the Winter during their pursuit of free agent Alex Bregman. The team asked Devers to move from third base to designated hitter as a subsequent move. Devers reluctantly agreed, setting the tone for an eventual trade. The relationship reached a new low in May after first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury, leading to the team approaching Devers about another position change. This time, he outright refused.

Devers’ response garnered negative attention and the label of selfish.

Things escalated when Yahoo Sports’ Joon Lee reported that Devers was not just annoyed about being asked to fill in at first base but became upset when rookie Kristian Campbell volunteered to play the position instead.

According to Lee, Devers took Campbell's offer as a "slight to his own stature."

Selfish, diva, and locker room cancer were all descriptors tossed at Devers following the news. How could a supposed team leader carry such an opinion on a rookie just trying to help the team win games?

On Tuesday, manager Alex Cora debunked Lee’s report.

“Kristian Campbell didn’t ask to play first base,” Cora said via MassLive's Christopher Smith. “I talked with him about it, and he was willing to try it.”

When asked directly about Devers' feelings towards Campbell and Lee’s report, Cora said, “The first time I heard about that was this morning.”

Devers never shied away from criticizing Boston’s chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, and how the Red Sox handled the addition of Bregman and Casas’ injury. His reaction to the situation caught the ire of his teammates, but despite some missteps, Devers is not guilty of harboring the discontentment toward Campbell that Lee claimed.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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