The Boston Red Sox have had to manage a delicate situation with some of their best players during spring training, and it looks like they got some serious help from Big Papi.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed on Wednesday that Rafael Devers will be the team’s full-time designated hitter in 2025. While widely expected, the change is one that Devers resisted — both publicly and privately.

Alex Bregman, an elite defensive third baseman who won a Gold Glove last year, signed a three-year, $120M contract with the Red Sox in the offseason. Devers, who has played third in Boston throughout his career, initially made it abundantly clear that he had no interest in becoming a DH. He eventually softened his stance and said he was willing to do whatever the team asked of him.

So what changed? While we can’t say for sure, we do know that David Ortiz spent a lot of time with Devers during spring training.

Would love to hear this conversation. Hall of Fame DH David Ortiz chatting with Rafael Devers on the way out to infield practice today. pic.twitter.com/pRrOWNf0zl

— Tom Caron (@TomCaron) February 28, 2025

We also know that Ortiz spoke recently about the importance of Devers “putting the ego aside” for the better of the team.

“At some point, it’s all about putting the ego aside,” Ortiz said earlier in March. “I’m in his corner at all times, but I want him to understand that this organization is trying to build up good players around him, so he doesn’t have to take the pressure all times.”

No one is more qualified to speak on the topic than Ortiz. Like Devers, Ortiz became a full-time DH later in his career when he joined the Red Sox. In that role, Big Papi helped the Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years. Ortiz then carried the franchise for years, won two more titles and was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Devers is a below-average fielder. He has committed 141 errors in 951 career games, which is roughly two times as many as Bregman. He is an elite hitter, and he can now focus almost all of his attention on that.

Ortiz was in Devers’ ear throughout the offseason. You can bet at least some of those conversations helped the Red Sox navigate through rough seas.