Devers' initial protests aside, the Red Sox are a better team with Bregman at third. The 10-year veteran won his first American League Gold Glove last season and rates highly per defensive metrics such as Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average.

Devers said he spoke to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora a few weeks ago about his feelings and ultimately decided to follow their lead.

While the Red Sox have not publicly commented on what role Rafael Devers will serve this season, the slugger confirmed to reporters that a decision has already been made.