Tom Werner, one of the owners of the Boston Red Sox, is always aware of the internal drama surrounding the club. He knew every detail of what unfolded with Rafael Devers, saying the situation simply required him to step in at first base and help the team. As for Alex Bregman not returning, Werner described that as a deeply personal decision by the player.
“I don’t like to speak ill of any player. I’d like to say that he’s a wonderful person… But, of course, when we had an injury at first base [to Triston Casas] his unwillingness to play that position was extremely discouraging… It was a discouraging episode… Just pick up a glove,” Werner said of Devers.
For those who may not remember, Devers himself had said he was not ready to play first base, and from there the situation escalated into an intense drama closely followed by reporters around the clock. Ultimately, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in a midseason June move that caught many by surprise.
The Bregman situation, according to Werner, is in the past
Werner does not want any lingering drama surrounding the Bregman situation. In the view of the Red Sox owner, Bregman ultimately chose to sign elsewhere largely for family reasons, and not simply because the Chicago Cubs may have offered more money.
“I don’t think that it was simply about the fact that he was offered a bit more money in Chicago. I think that he’s happy to be in Arizona [for spring training] where his family is. I have enormous respect for Alex, but it wasn’t meant to be and we moved on… I think people have made too much of that. I don’t think that was the dispositive issue.”
Team president Sam Kennedy also addressed Bregman’s departure, including whether a no-trade clause might have changed the outcome. “There’s many different parts of a contract negotiation. We did not come to an agreement. So obviously, he’s a Chicago Cub and wish him well until the end of the year.”