Cora noncommittal on Bregman's defensive spot
Written by I Dig Sports
The Boston Red Sox announced their three-year contract with Alex Bregman on Saturday.
Where Bregman will play for them, however, remains up in the air, according to manager Alex Cora.
Rafael Devers has been Boston's mainstay at third base, the same position Bregman primarily played for the Houston Astros since 2020. Bregman could move to second to keep Devers at third, but Cora told reporters Saturday that it's too early to make any infield decisions.
"We'll talk about that later on," Cora said. "Right now, there's a lot of stuff going on as far as where we're going to be roster-wise. We'll make the decision when we have to make it." '
Bregman has logged only 32 innings at second in his major league career, but Cora reiterated Saturday that he's confident the two-time All-Star could play there regularly.
"He's a Gold Glove third baseman," said Cora, who was Bregman's bench coach with the Astros in 2017. "He hasn't played second base in the big leagues. I do believe he can be a Gold Glove second baseman, too. There's other stuff that comes into play as far as roster construction and what's better for the team and what can be the best lineup. Competition comes into play."
Also potentially in the mix is Kristian Campbell, ESPN's No. 26 prospect who could break camp with the big league team as either a second baseman or center fielder after a rapid rise through the minors since he was drafted in 2023.
If Bregman plays third, Devers could shift to designated hitter.
"He's happy he's here," Cora said of Devers' reaction to the Bregman deal. "He understands that offensively, we took it to the next level. Having those three guys [with Jarren Duran] on top of the lineup is going to be good."