Rafael Devers will figure it out, says Edgar Martínez, who knows a thing or two about being a DH - The Boston Globe (2025)

It made sense for the team for Devers to become the DH after the Sox signed Alex Bregman in February. But that doesn’t mean it made sense for Devers.

As a third baseman, he was on the field for nine innings and on his toes for 135 or so pitches a game. As a DH, he gets only four or five opportunities to make an impact on the game.

“You have to accept your role, that’s the biggest thing,” Martínez told the Globe. “Just embrace it like any other position. But it took me a while. You think about your future as a player and you feel you want to contribute on the defensive side.

“It’s tough but you have to accept it and once you do, it becomes easier. It’s much more of a mental adjustment than a physical one.”

Martínez was a seven-time All-Star as a DH and hit 243 of his career 309 home runs from that spot. It led to his election to the Hall of Fame in 2019.

He was Seattle’s hitting coach from 2015-18 then rejoined the team as hitting coach last August through the end of the season after Jarret DeHart was fired.

Martínez is still part of the coaching staff under manager Dan Wilson, a former teammate. He’s senior director of hitting strategy.

From across the field, he can sense what Devers is going through.

“It took me a while to figure it out,” Martínez said. “As a DH, you feel like you need to do something every time you come up to the plate because you can’t help in the field. It’s hard.

“But once you accept what the job is, it becomes easier. Devers is a very good hitter. He’s going to figure it out.”

Martínez believes advances in technology have made it easier to DH.

“I used to ride a stationary bike to stay warm between at-bats and have a coach pitch to me in the cage or hit balls off a tee,” Martínez said. “Now a player has a lot of different ways to get ready.

“Trajekt [a pitching robot that can replicate any pitcher] can get you ready. You have more coaches now. It’s up to the player to find a routine that works for him. It takes some time. It took me a few months.

“I think it’s easier if the team is playing well. There’s less pressure on you.”

Martínez said one of his habits was to come back to the dugout well before he was due up so his eyes could re-adjust to the stadium lights.

Martínez has faith that Devers will produce as a designated hitter.

“He’s very talented, a great hitter. He can go the other way with a lot of power,” Martínez said. “He’ll make the adjustment. It’s still early in the season for everybody.”

Martínez signed with the Mariners in 1982 out of Puerto Rico and has been with the organization since. At 62, he doesn’t need to be in uniform and with the team every day. But it’s something he enjoys. He wants to be connected.

“Being at the park, talking to the hitters, that’s what I like,” he said. “I retired [as a player] in 2004 and at the beginning it was an adjustment.

“Now my kids are grown and out of the house. I like being involved with the organization and with this group of guys. I’m trying to share some of my experiences.”

Seattle hasn’t won a playoff series since 2001 when it beat Cleveland in the Division Series before falling to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Martínez drove in 116 runs that season.

“I want to see the organization have success again,” he said. “That’s also why I want to be around, to do my part.”

Martínez is considered the first true DH elected to the Hall of Fame. His induction played at least some role in Harold Baines and David Ortiz also going through the doors of Cooperstown.

“To me, it’s a position,” Martínez said. “I was glad to see David get in on the first ballot. He deserved it.”

Martínez will be in Cooperstown in July to help honor fellow Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki.

“That’s going to be a great weekend,” Martínez said. “Half of Japan will probably be there.”

Clock is ticking

Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer won’t regress if they spend a little more time in Triple A. Mayer hasn’t even played 25 games for Worcester and Anthony is approaching 60.

But that calculus is going to change soon. Mookie Betts was deemed ready after 45 games and Xander Bogaerts after 60.

How the Red Sox make it work — or whether they can make it work — will be one of the biggest stories of this season. It’s going to be tricky.

With Kristian Campbell at second base, Mayer’s only defensive fit is at shortstop. But Trevor Story is signed through 2027 and is finally having a strong season after two seasons ravaged by injuries.

Anthony is not moving to first base, he’s an outfielder. Playing him would mean displacing Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, or Ceddanne Rafaela.

Don’t be quick to suggest Rafaela become a do-it-all bench player. Take his glove out of center field and the Red Sox won’t be nearly as good defensively.

It also wouldn’t make much sense to bring Anthony or Mayer up unless they’re playing every day. Both are lefthanded hitters, too, and the Sox already are overloaded from that side of the plate.

Somehow Craig Breslow has to come up with a way to make a series of moves that get Anthony and Mayer on the team.

That likely would entail moving Story’s hefty contract, trading some players you’d rather not trade, balancing the lineup, and protecting the organization for the possibility Alex Bregman opts out after the season.

Or you just wait. Roster problems have a way of sorting themselves out. Injuries and attrition take a toll and opportunities arise.

In April, there’s no rush. But if the Sox are still muddling around .500 a month from now and Anthony and Mayer are crushing Triple A pitching, something is going to have to give.

Prediction: Somebody will get traded that will be a big surprise.

A few other observations on the Red Sox:

• When Aroldis Chapman unleashed a 102.3-m.p.h. fastball on April 19, he set a record for the fastest recorded pitch in Red Sox history. He also holds that record with the Cubs, Pirates, Reds, Royals, and Yankees.

Chapman also pitched for Texas. But Neftali Feliz holds the record for the Rangers with a 104.1-m.p.h. pitch in 2010.

“If that’s what he did, then good for him,” Chapman said via a translator. “Throwing 104 is great.”

At 37, Chapman is more amused by his feats than impressed.

“I’m glad I can still throw hard at this point in my career,” he said. “I thank God for that. I don’t care about records.”

• That Carlos Narváez would lead major league catchers in defensive runs saved (5) a month into the season is not something that was expected.

• Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez went into the weekend having combined to hit .321 (18 of 56) with seven extra-base hits, four walks, and six RBIs.

They’ve given the Sox 0.5 bWAR, which is more than Duran, Triston Casas, and Rafael Devers.

Their ability to produce when playing so sporadically has been impressive.

• Righthander Hunter Dobbins has started two games for the Red Sox, winning both while allowing only three earned runs over 11 innings. He’s given up one home run.

Dobbins, 25, has appeared in three games for Worcester and given up nine earned runs over 12⅔ innings and allowed four home runs.

He had a strong start against Syracuse on Thursday, allowing one run over six innings.

• In case you missed it, Jackie Bradley Jr. joined ESPN as a college baseball analyst. Bradley, 35, should flourish in that role. He had a distinguished career at South Carolina and has stayed in touch with the college game.

• They would never admit it, but it’s hard not to wonder if the Red Sox regret their involvement in the Netflix documentary.

“The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox” came and went without much of an impact nationally. The biggest revelation was Duran saying on camera he tried to commit suicide in 2022 but his rifle didn’t fire.

That news was handled cynically. Netflix sent the documentary to media outlets in the Boston area under the proviso that no stories could be published until the early hours of April 7.

Their publicists knew Duran’s disclosure would be major news.

At the same time, Netflix prohibited the Red Sox from making any comment until April 8. By doing that, they assured two days of stories instead of one.

That many despondent people sought help after hearing about Duran’s personal difficulties is great. But if Netflix and the Sox really wanted to help others, they could have released that clip six months earlier.

Outside of Duran revealing the depths of his despair two years prior — which was remarkable — the documentary was about an unremarkable 81-81 team.

Etc.

Eleven Massachusetts natives have played at least one major league game already this season. Since 2010, the most has been 13 in 2019 and ’21.

Credit an influx of talented young White Sox pitchers — Sean Burke (Sutton), Jared Shuster (New Bedford), Shane Smith (Danvers), and Mike Vasil (Wellesley).

Chicago is the first team with four Massachusetts-born players since the 2022 Giants had Tyler Beede (Auburn), John Brebbia (Sharon), Alex Cobb (North Reading), and Mike Yastrzemski (Andover).

Before that you have to go back to the 2001 Mets with Mark Johnson (Worcester), Brian Rose (Dartmouth), Pete Walker (Beverly), and Turk Wendell (Pittsfield).

The Red Sox have not had four Massachusetts natives on the same team since 1999 when they had Rose, Jim Corsi (Newtown), Lou Merloni (Framingham), and Steve Lomasney (Melrose).

Rob Manfred probably doesn’t get weepy at the end of “Field of Dreams” and that’s OK. Being commissioner of baseball is a job for a lawyer who will keep the game on strong footing financially, not a sentimentalist. That said, when the Los Angeles Times asks what fans should do about the high prices at Dodger Stadium, your answer should not be, “One of the leaders in terms of thinking about affordability has been the other Los Angeles team.” That would be like telling Patriots fans that if you think the rebuild is talking too long, you can always root for the Bills … As for the Dodgers, the news that Blake Snell has been shut down from throwing was bad even for a team with enviable depth. Snell felt something different in his shoulder last week that ended hopes of his returning soon. He has been out since April 3 with what has been termed inflammation. Snell, who was signed for five years and $182 million, has made only two starts. Clayton Kershaw is two starts into a minor league rehabilitation assignment but has thrown only six innings … Nick Pivetta is 4-1 with a 1.20 ERA through five starts with the Padres. He has pitched very well and had a bit of good fortune with opponents having a .206 batting average on balls in play. Pivetta was one of the last notable free agents to sign, agreeing to a team-friendly four-year, $55 million deal on Feb. 17 … Progressive Field looks a lot better after being renovated. The area behind the plate was opened up, there’s a new club space in left field and right field has an open-air patio … Clint Hurdle replaced Hensley Meulens as Colorado’s hitting coach earlier this month. When does he become manager? The Rockies have the worst record in the majors and were outscored by 59 runs in their first 24 games. That’s more the fault of indifferent ownership than manager Bud Black. But managers usually pay the price … Mike Trout had a .172/.275/.483 slash line through 24 games but did have eight home runs. It’s a product of playing only 29 games last season according to a scout who recently watched the Angels for a series. Trout’s power and speed remain impressive but he’s struggling with breaking balls and offspeed pitches. That’s something playing more games should solve. Trout’s 386 homers are second among active players to Giancarlo Stanton, who has 429 … Craig Kimbrel agreed to a minor league contract with the Braves on March 18 and remains in the minors. The 36-year-old closer appeared in three games for Double A Columbus earlier this month and is now with Triple A Gwinnett. Kimbrel had 23 saves for Gwinnett as a 22-year-old in 2010 when his teammates included Freddie Freeman. Kimbrel’s 440 saves are fifth all time. As Kimbrel labors in the minors, Kenley Jansen is pitching well for the Angels and went into the weekend with 452 saves. He could pass Hall of Famer Lee Smith (478) for third place … The Rays are selling pieces of the Tropicana Field roof that was destroyed by Hurricane Milton in October. The thin pieces of Teflon are $15 and proceeds benefit the Rays Foundation. It’s not authenticated, however … MLB will host a free, one-day Umpire Camp at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford on June 28. The camp is for anyone interested in pursuing a career as an umpire or improving their skills as an umpire. Some participants could be selected to attend an all-expenses-paid four-week course in Florida in January 2026. Go to MLBUC.com for more information … The Springfield chapter of SABR will host former Yankees shortstop Bobby Meacham and longtime pitching coach Ace Adams at 10 a.m. on May 3 at Springfield College. Meacham, who manages of the Hartford Yard Goats, played with (or for) Rickey Henderson, Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield, Billy Martin, Yogi Berra and Tony Gwynn, among others. Adams, who is from Longmeadow, has coached with six MLB teams. The event will be at the Dodge Room on the second floor of the Campus Union Building at 263 Alden St. Parking is available in Lots 5 or 9. Go to springfieldsabr.comfor more information … Happy birthday to Joey Gathright, who is 44. He hit one home run over seven seasons and 452 games in the majors but played for four teams including the Red Sox in 2009 and again in 2011. On both occasions, Theo Epstein acquired Gathright in late August to serve as a pinch runner. He appeared in Game 3 of the 2009 Division Series against the Angels and, as planned, stole a base and scored running for David Ortiz in the eighth inning of a 7-6 loss. Gathright’s playing career ended after the 2013 season.

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.