A lot went wrong for the 2024 Boston Red Sox, leading to the team finishing with a .500 record and missing out on the postseason for the fifth time in the last six years, but perhaps no weakness was more glaring than the team’s defense.

Boston ranked 25th in the majors with -20 OAA, according to Baseball Savant. Their infield was particularly bad, as their -34 OAA (29th in the majors) would suggest.

With that in mind, improving their defense would seemingly have been a priority on Craig Breslow’s list of goals to accomplish this winter. The Red Sox wound up doing just that, signing Alex Bregman to a three-year deal. Where Bregman will play remains a mystery, but he can provide a quality glove at second base and especially third base, a position where he just won a Gold Glove award in 2024.

Having Bregman at third base would mean moving Rafael Devers, the team’s long-time third baseman, to DH. It’s safe to say that’s something Devers is vehemently opposed to doing based on what he had to say publicly. Even if the Red Sox decide they want Devers to move to DH for the betterment of the team, Devers has no interest in doing so. Perhaps Boston’s first spring training game will open his eyes a bit.

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First Red Sox spring training game shows exactly why Rafael Devers should DH

Devers was not participating in this game, but defense remains a major concern. His presence won’t exactly help matters.

The 28-year-old was worth -6 OAA in 2024, putting him in the eighth percentile according to Baseball Savant. Devers has been a negative defender according to the outs above average statistic in seven of his eight seasons, and has been worth -28 OAA overall — not great!

For those not interested in advanced metrics, Devers has led the league in errors among third basemen in each of the last seven seasons. Again, this is a player who has only been in the majors for eight seasons, and considering the 14 errors he accumulated in just 56 games at the hot corner in his rookie year, he probably would’ve led the league that season as well if he played more.

There’s no disputing the caliber of hitter Devers is. Among third baseman, he may well be the best hitter in the sport. His bat is the reason why the Red Sox gave him a massive 11-year extension ahead of the 2023 campaign. His glove, however, is a problem.

Devers is not the only reason why the Red Sox have been so subpar defensively, but 2024 wasn’t a fluke when it came to their team defense. The Red Sox ranked dead last in OAA as a team in 2023 and in 2021 as well with Devers’ struggles a major focal point.

Bregman’s big right-handed bat will be awesome to add to this lineup, but his glove is a bigger reason to love this signing even more. He can give this infield some stability defensively. Imagine the jump Boston would receive going from arguably the worst defensive third baseman in the game to one who just won a Gold Glove. It’d be unbelievable.

Starting Bregman at the hot corner ensures that the defense will finally improve in 2025, and also gives Kristian Campbell a legitimate shot to make the team’s Opening Day roster, perhaps making the Red Sox even better.

While it’s understandable for Devers to want to play third base, his glove is not deserving of that opportunity. If the Red Sox are going to improve enough defensively, Devers is going to have to DH at the very least some of the time.