Less than twenty-four hours after telling a small group of assembled media he’s happy to do whatever the Red Sox ask of him, a Friday morning report from MassLive’s Sean McAdam indicates beleaguered star Rafael Devers considered asking for a trade earlier this spring.

The intrigue began three weeks ago, when the Red Sox star defiantly refused to move off third base for newly acquired Gold Glove infielder Alex Bregman.

“Third base is my position. It’s what I’ve played,” said Devers at the time, through an interpreter. “I don’t know what their [the club’s] plans are. I know we had a conversation. I made it clear what my desires were, and whatever happens from here, I don’t know.”

Devers came off this stance yesterday, when he told reporters he had spoken to Red Sox top brass and reiterated his desire to stay at third base, while acquiescing a willingness to do what was best for the club. But McAdam’s report suggests there’s still some ill will between the player and the team.

“According to sources,” writes McAdam, “Devers was angry enough about the situation to consider asking for a trade. And it’s possible that, as part of his ‘private conversations’ with  [General Manager] Craig Breslow that he indeed relayed that.”

Devers’ defiance is mystifying given the fact he is one of the game’s biggest defensive liabilities at third base. His 12 errors in 2024 marked an improvement from his 19 flubs in 2023, but he still led American League third basemen in errors for the seventh consecutive year.

Alex Bregman, meanwhile, won a Gold Glove as a third baseman for the Houston Astros last season, committing a league-low 10 errors in 142 games.

Devers is currently under contract with the Boston Red Sox through the 2033 season. In January 2023, he signed a 10-year, $313.5 million extension—the largest deal in Red Sox history—that began in 2024.

Given that massive amount of money owed and the player’s reluctance to change positions, it’s impossible to see a willing trade partner.

However, Bregman has opt-outs in his Red Sox contract after the 2025 and 2026 seasons, meaning there’s a chance Devers’ foothold at third base in Boston could endure.

The situation is further complicated by somewhat mysterious shoulder ailments that have held Devers out of spring training action for the entire duration of camp.

“Yeah, I really don’t know why there’s been such a big deal made about my shoulders since the first day here at camp,” said Devers yesterday, according to NESN’s Tom Caron. “I’ve been saying that my shoulders are good, and they’re good right now.”

Devers is set to make his first appearance in a spring training game this Saturday.