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Boston Red Sox: Is Rafael Devers the eventual answer at third base?

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

Mar 13, 2017; Dunedin, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (74) throws to first for the out on Toronto Blue Jays batter Ryan Goins (17) in the fourth inning of a baseball game during spring training at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; Dunedin, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (74) throws to first for the out on Toronto Blue Jays batter Ryan Goins (17) in the fourth inning of a baseball game during spring training at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /
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If Pablo Sandoval can’t get his act together at third base, the Boston Red Sox may have no choice but to give promising prospect Rafael Devers a shot.

Top Boston Red Sox prospect Rafael Devers is tearing things up at Double-A Portland.  The 20-year-old power hitting third base man has a batting average of .301 with nine homers, 10 doubles and 32 RBIs through 47 games this season.

While a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket appears imminent, CSN’s Evan Drellich feels the Red Sox should see what Devers could do this season with the big club.

A move like that could damper the young prospect’s confidence, but it could be a necessary move if Pablo Sandoval continues to disappoint at the position.  In Drelich’s words, the team could “roll the dice” with Devers just to see whether they need to go outside of the organization to solve the third base problem.

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It would also allow them to see whether the third baseman is ready for the big leagues.  If he is not ready, it would give him a glimpse of what he needs to do to prepare for the majors.  If he produces like Andrew Benintendi did a year ago, then the Red Sox will have an answer at the position, at least for the remainder of the season.

If all else fails

Of course, any chance of seeing Rafael Devers play at Fenway Park this season depends on any potential moves made by Dave Dombrowski.  So far, the Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations doesn’t see any scenario where the team would call up the young prospect.

He deterred any chance of that a week ago if there was any possibility of such a move.

"“It doesn’t mean we don’t love him a great deal,” Dombrowski said, via CSN.  “He’s continued to play pretty well, consistently from the defensive perspective.  It’s been a little bit of a slump from an offensive perspective.  So if we were going to move him up, it wouldn’t be today per se.  It would basically be based upon how he’s performing rather than what our needs are at the major league level.”"

If Devers continues his production once promoted to Triple-A, he may force the issue.  As for now, the thought of giving him a chance now is much more enticing than any thought of Pablo Sandoval displaying consistency at the position.

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