Red Sox Face Backlash After Losing Two Star Third Basemen
The Boston Red Sox have managed to lose both of their star third basemen in a single year. This surprising turn of events has left their fan base angry and completely confused about the team's direction.
At the start of the 2025 season, the Red Sox roster featured both Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman. This gave the team what appeared to be incredible depth at the critical third base position. However, as the new 2026 season approaches, neither player remains in Boston.
Podcast Commentary Ignites Fan Reaction
On Sunday, January 18, 2026, Boston-based baseball media personality Jared Carrabis addressed the situation openly on his popular podcast. Carrabis, a well-known Red Sox loyalist, did not mince words.
He stated that the Red Sox front office badly mishandled the situations of both Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman. His strong comments spread rapidly across social media platforms, fueling the existing discontent among the team's supporters.
Carrabis explained the sequence of events that led to this point. The team essentially gave up on Rafael Devers to make room for Alex Bregman. The problem is that Bregman himself stayed for only one season before also departing.
Many fans, even those who had concerns about player contracts or defensive skills, expected the organization to protect at least one of its cornerstone stars. The failure to do so has become a major point of contention.
The Chain of Events That Led to the Exodus
The drama began in early 2025 when the Red Sox made a stunning move. They signed Alex Bregman to a lucrative three-year contract worth $120 million. This deal included opt-out clauses after both the first and second seasons.
Bregman arrived in Boston with massive expectations and immediately took over as the everyday third baseman. This signing, however, placed longtime Red Sox player Rafael Devers in a difficult and uncertain position.
Devers, who had played his entire Major League Baseball career with Boston, was shuffled between designated hitter and first base during the 2025 season. This created visible tension within the clubhouse.
By the middle of the 2025 season, the Red Sox front office made a decisive move. They traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. At that moment, most fans believed the team had firmly chosen Alex Bregman as their long-term solution at third base.
The Plan Unravels Completely
That plan fell apart almost immediately. After the 2025 season concluded, Alex Bregman exercised the opt-out clause in his contract. He entered free agency and, in December 2025, signed a new deal with the Chicago Cubs.
His departure after just one year in Boston stunned the fan base. The shock was compounded by the fact that the Red Sox had already traded away Rafael Devers mere months earlier.
This series of decisions has left the Red Sox without either of their star third basemen as they prepare for the new season. The team now faces the difficult task of finding consistency at a crucial defensive position, instead of building around established talent.
Mounting Pressure on the Front Office
The situation is now a frequent topic of negotiation and discussion across the league. Fans and baseball experts alike are questioning the logic of letting a franchise icon like Devers leave before having certainty about Bregman's long-term commitment.
With both players now absent, the Red Sox front office is under intense scrutiny. They face significant pressure to clearly define their team-building strategy and, more importantly, to restore faith with their disillusioned fan base. The mishandling of two elite players has become one of the most talked-about front office mistakes in recent team history.
