{"id":4831,"date":"2024-11-07T08:31:36","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T08:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=4831"},"modified":"2024-11-07T08:31:36","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T08:31:36","slug":"report-rafael-devers-takes-a-new-approach-to-the-offseason-knowing-his-role-is-key-to-red-sox-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=4831","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: Rafael Devers Takes a New Approach to the Offseason, Knowing His Role Is Key to Red Sox Success"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers sat out the last nine days of the season because of a shoulder injury.<\/span>Danielle Parhizkaran\/Globe Staff<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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SAN ANTONIO \u2014 Rafael Devers is still young but is no longer a kid.<\/span><\/p>\n

His role with the Red Sox, based on his track record and the 10-year, $313.5 million contract that will run through 2033, is that of a veteran who is expected to anchor the club. He can\u2019t fulfill that description when he can\u2019t play.<\/span><\/p>\n

In deference to that notion, the three-time All-Star \u2014 who recently turned 28 \u2014 is taking a different approach to his offseason. After a year in which he missed 24 games because of injury \u2014 his most since 2018 \u2014 Devers has changed his workout program, according to his agent, Nelson Montes de Oca.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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While Devers had typically prepared for the season on his own in the Dominican Republic before heading to the Tampa area in January, this year he\u2019s following a strength and conditioning program set by team staff that includes the earliest starting date in his career.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe last couple years, injuries have been playing a factor [in his performance],\u201d said Montes de Oca. \u201cInjuries happen to him just because of the way he plays. And I think he understands that, so he\u2019s getting ready this year earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wants to go out and play 150, 160 games. He understands that he\u2019s getting older, so he needs to start a little bit earlier with that preparation and try to do whatever he can to prevent injuries next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devers, despite a left shoulder injury at the start of 2024 and an early-season bruise to his knee, was amid his best season through late July. But on a dive on a grounder to his left in Colorado July 23, he landed awkwardly on his right shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think he ever fully recovered from that,\u201d said Montes de Oca. \u201cI told him, \u2018You\u2019d probably be better off going to the IL.\u2019 But he wants to play every day. He said, \u2018No, I\u2019m OK. I\u2019m getting treatment. I should be fine.\u2019 He\u2019s one of those players that, even though he understands his numbers might take a hit, him being out there helps the team, so he\u2019s going to be out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Devers stayed in the lineup and continued to perform at a high level over the next two weeks, his health and performance eroded. From Aug. 3 through the end of the season, he hit .197\/.287\/.299 with just three homers and a 28 percent strikeout rate, down from a .304\/.383\/.609 line with 25 homers and a 23 percent strikeout rate through Aug. 2.<\/p>\n

Over the final five weeks of the season, his bat speed collapsed. He couldn\u2019t drive the ball, hitting .169\/.261\/.182 with no homers in his last 21 games before sitting out for the last nine days of the season, with his absence proving particularly painful.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe understands he\u2019s the face of the franchise, and he takes pride in that,\u201d said Montes de Oca. \u201cHe takes pride in the team winning. When the team is not doing well, he puts a lot of pressure on himself and takes full responsibility for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that in mind, the Red Sox approached him about changing his offseason program, which will still take place in his home region of Saman\u00e1 before transitioning to Florida in January. Devers signed off.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an opportunity to help build strength and durability by getting a jump-start on the offseason,\u201d said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. \u201cIt\u2019s a recommendation that came from the organization. We saw last year, Raffy\u2019s got a willingness to play through discomfort and injuries, but to the extent that we can get him healthy and feeling great, it will help a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devers is hopeful that the extra work will boost his durability and allow him to improve his defense.<\/p>\n

Though advanced metrics such as DRS and Outs Above Average (OAA) grade him as one of the worst defensive third basemen, he was amid one of his most consistent defensive seasons until the July injury. But he had to scale back his defensive work and ultimately struggled to throw with his shoulder injury.<\/p>\n

He ended the year being graded minus-6 OAA, meaning he converted six fewer balls in play into outs than an average third baseman. That performance has led to questions about his long-term fit at third.<\/p>\n

Breslow, who noted that Devers \u201cmade progress\u201d at third in 2024, hasn\u2019t ruled out a switch of positions, only saying the team wouldn\u2019t consider it without discussing it with Devers. But Montes de Oca made clear that Devers still sees third base as part of his identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a third baseman, and he will continue to play third base and work hard to get better at it. That\u2019s his position, that\u2019s what he likes to play, and that\u2019s what he will be playing,\u201d said Montes de Oca. \u201cAt least in the near future, that\u2019s where he will be. Down the road, it\u2019s hard to say. But as of right now, in the near future, he is a third baseman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Above all else, Devers is a force in the lineup when healthy, but one who has worn out down the stretch. Through eight big league seasons, he has a .294\/.348\/.553 line through July that has fallen off to .257\/.318\/.446 down the stretch.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s aware of that pattern, and from early accounts this offseason, prepared to do something about it. At a time when the Red Sox are exploring ways to improve at the GM Meetings \u2014 rotation and bullpen upgrades, as well as righthanded thunder \u2014 a full season of peak Devers offers an additional factor in the pursuit of improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cA motivated Raffy is a really good thing for the Boston Red Sox,\u201d said Breslow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year he\u2019s following a strength and conditioning program set by team staff that includes the earliest starting date in his career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nREPORT: Rafael Devers Takes a New Approach to the Offseason, Knowing His Role Is Key to Red Sox Success - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=4831\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: Rafael Devers Takes a New Approach to the Offseason, Knowing His Role Is Key to Red Sox Success - 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