The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have arguably one of the greatest rivalries in the world of sports. But on the odd occasion, a voice across the trenches rises to defend a rival. In an unusual display of crosstown unity, a Yankees star has chimed in on the turmoil brewing in Boston. And he didn’t mind calling out the Red Sox front office for its handling of their star player, Rafael Devers.

The controversy in Boston has been simmering all season. It began in February 2025, when the Sox signed Alex Bregman, moving Devers from third base to designated hitter. The front office reportedly told their franchise player to “put away [his] glove.” But everything changed in May. First baseman Triston Casas sustained a season-ending knee injury, and the team turned to Devers to be their saviour. But this time, he flatly refused, stating the organization broke its word. “They can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” Devers said.

As the drama persists, an unlikely defender has emerged from the Bronx. Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr, who the Yankees moved around the diamond, decided to take a stand for Devers. He drew a sharp line between his own flexibility and the promise made to the Red Sox star. “His situation, it’s completely different than mine,” Chisholm stated. “He was promised that position. That was promised to him. I believe if you’re promised your position, you should go play the position you were promised.”

Chisholm explained that his support comes down to a simple matter of principle: honoring your word. The Yankees never guaranteed him a specific spot, so he remains flexible. However, according to reports, the Red Sox promised Devers that he would continue playing third base when he agreed to his 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension in 2023. “For him, it’s completely fine to say, ‘Well, I was promised this position,’” Chisholm continued, via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “‘I was paid, and the reason I’m here is to play third base.’ That’s his thing, and he has the right to say that.”

Now, this public relations disaster for the Red Sox front office adds another layer to a challenging season. Through early June, the team ranks fourth in the American League East with a losing 30-34 record, significantly weaker than their archrivals in New York. The in-house chaos is only a symptom of a greater organizational failure, as the club’s major league-leading errors have led to a league-high 17 one-run games.

Chisholm’s comments only amplify the notion that the Red Sox organization is letting its players down, contributing dysfunction of a team simply trying to get back on its feet in a competitive division.

Public nature of Rafael Devers’ grievance

Ironically, even as the drama swirled around his glove, Devers has spoken loudest with his bat. In the DH role, he’s been in a different stratosphere altogether. He put up blistering numbers in May, batting .373 with a .477 on-base percentage and an off-the-charts .664 slugging percentage. His elite play has made the front office’s request for yet another change all the more misguided. He has clearly adjusted to his new role, making this broken promise a completely unforced error.

Other voices from around the league have also sided with Devers. Former MLB first baseman Eric Hosmer placed the blame squarely on Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer, Craig Breslow. Hosmer said Breslow is “asking Rafi to cover for his own mistake [lack of depth].” Devers himself took a shot at the front office for their lack of planning. He bluntly told reporters, “They should do their job.” These comments show a united front against what many see as a major management blunder.

To the Fenway faithful, this all feels like an agonizing loop. The organization has developed a poor track record of retaining its homegrown stars. In 2020, the Red Sox infamously traded Mookie Betts instead of offering him a deserving contract for the long run. In recent years, they let shortstop Xander Bogaerts walk in free agency. Such choices have established a storyline of a front office that cannot keep its franchise players happy. The Devers mess is something that simply feels like the most recent chapter of a frustrating book.

These sorts of positional disputes are not uncommon; what makes the Devers conflict different is how public it becomes. In the past, players such as Cal Ripken Jr. famously fought moves from their iconic positions. Other stars have had differences with management about roles or contract offers. But for one player to so directly call out his own team for breaking a specific promise tied to a massive contract extension is rare. It casts the integrity of the Red Sox front office under a national microscope.