BOSTON — Rafael Devers could continue to rake at Triple-A Pawtucket and make it to the majors this year. Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski seems to want to keep that possibility on the back burner — at least publicly.
Twenty-year-olds don’t need that pressure, if it can be avoided. Devers on Friday was promoted from Double-A Portland, on the same day the Sox designated Pablo Sandoval for assignment.
“I'm not counting on Devers at this point,” Dombrowski said Friday. “We again think Rafael Devers is going to be a very, very good player. But I don't want to put it on his back that we're counting on him in a pennant race. He should go to Triple-A and play like he's capable of playing and we'll see what takes place at that time.”
Last year, the Red Sox jumped Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi both from Double-A to the majors. It worked for the latter, but not the former, who’s now with the White Sox following the Chris Sale trade.
“I really at times have been open-minded to jumping guys from Double-A to the big leagues,” Dombrowski said Friday. “You saw we did it last year. Our guys just feel with his age, where he is and what he's come through that it would be beneficial for him to go to Triple-A from a maturity perspective. Really this year he's been tremendous. But we thought it could be beneficial for him to see Triple-A and see how he adjusts to that.”