When the Boston Red Sox traded all-star third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants last June, it sent shockwaves through MLB. It came out of the blue, and nobody saw it coming, even the big-name MLB insiders.
The writing was on the wall, however. Boston Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow signed third baseman Alex Bregman right before spring training last February. The Red Sox wanted Devers to switch to DH. He didn’t want to. He ended up accepting the role, but when asked about playing first base, he didn’t want to and was upset they even asked him after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury in early May.
“It was after the Casas [injury]. … They came to me and talked to me about it,” Devers said last May. “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, and I wasn’t going to play any other position but DH.”
San Francisco Giants Rafael Devers Gets Bold Prediction for 2026 Season
San Francisco opens the season at home on Wednesday against the New York Yankees. Devers will don the first baseman’s mitt and play first. Axisa believes he’ll play so well at the position in 2026 that he’ll be in the running for an award at the end of the season.
Prediction: Rafael Devers will be a Gold Glove finalist.
“Devers playing first base was a whole big thing last year because of how everything ended with the Red Sox. If you stopped paying attention, though (and I wouldn’t blame you given how the Giants’ season went), you missed Devers starting 29 of the team’s final 61 games at first. And you know what? He looked OK. Not amazing, but not a disaster either,” wrote Axisa.
Devers is getting the start at first against the Yankees, and he’ll likely get a lot more as the season goes along. Can he make the transition from third to first? If he does and is a finalist for a Gold Glove, that won’t be taken well by Boston fans.
Rafael Devers Playing First is Key for San Francisco Giants in 2026
San Francisco is a team that could end up being the one National League West Division team that could push the Los Angeles Dodgers. They have a rotation that needs to stay healthy, but can be good. They have veterans who could play a big part, including Devers at first. Can he handle the position long-term? Axisa thinks so.
“You could see how it could work long-term with more experience and an offseason to work at it. I’m not saying Devers will win a Gold Glove in 2026. But be one of three finalists for the award? Sure, I’ll boldly predict that,” wrote Axisa.
Devers is a key bat in the middle of the San Francisco lineup, but also a key glove at first base. Who would have thought the Gold Glove Award at first base and Rafael Devers would be words used in the same sentence? Baseball can be interesting sometimes.
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