The Boston Red Sox’s reason for scratching Rafael Devers from their FanFest lineup is not what fans might suspect. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Devers had a last-minute scheduling conflict that will prevent him from appearing at this weekend’s “Fenway Fest.” Among other players once scheduled to appear in Boston were Walker Buehler and Kutter Crawford, but as Cotillo notes, both were removed from an updated list of attendees on the Red Sox website Friday.

Devers, 28, signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract with the Red Sox prior to last season. He’ll call Boston home until 2033. But speculation has swirled around a position change for the three-time All-Star this offseason. As the Red Sox have been linked to Gold Glove award-winning third basemen Alex Bregman (a free agent) and Nolan Arenado (whom the Cardinals are trying to trade), many have suggested Devers move off the primary position he’s played in Boston since his 2017 rookie year.

The simple reason? Boston is among the few teams being aggressive in its pursuit of Bregman and Arenado. And both are better third basemen than Devers. With rumors swirled about Devers “being replaced” – at least in the field – the specter of him missing Fenway Fest raised some eyebrows. But according to Cotillo, the native of the Dominican Republic will not be in town with his teammates for a far less interesting reason.