Yankees Star Takes Firm Stance On Red Sox-Rafael Devers Controversy

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees finally face off for the first time this season on Friday, and the two teams are headed in opposite directions.

The Yankees are flying high, having won eight of their last nine World Series. Their pivot plan after losing Juan Soto has worked out marvelously so far, and they appear to have a clubhouse full of harmony, which is typical when a team is winning.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox trail the Yankees by a whopping 9 1/2 games and sit four games under .500. After a big offseason, the team has flopped on the field, and there's also been plenty of discord and discomfort off the field.

The most dramatic off-field story for the Red Sox all season has been Rafael Devers' disagreement with the front office over his position--first moving off third base to become a designated hitter, then refusing to comply with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's request to move to first base when Triston Casas got hurt.

Coincidentally, Yankees star infielder Jazz Chisholm has been moving all over the diamond since arriving in New York, playing third last season, second base to begin this season, and now third again upon his return from the injured list. From afar, one might think Chisholm would disagree with Devers' stance, but he made it clear in the lead-up to the series that he supports the Red Sox star's decision.

“His situation, it's completely different than mine," Chisholm said, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. "He was promised that position... I believe if you’re promised your position, you should go play the position you were promised. That’s what he worked on his whole career. You can’t go back on it. I don’t have a problem with what he did.”

Chisholm is still a year and a half away from free agency, and the fact that Devers already got a $300 million contract from the Red Sox means the two are in completely different situations, according to the 27-year-old.

“When I got traded here, I was told that I was going to be the second baseman, but I wasn’t promised that I was going to be the second baseman," he said. "They never told me that you’re going to be the second baseman for this many years and this is how much we’re going to pay you to do this for this many years. I just came here to win, so I’m going to do what I can to go get that ring.”

Chisholm has batted .207 this season, but has eight home runs in only 33 games. He's just one member of a deep Yankees lineup that Red Sox hurlers will have to contain all weekend.