Devers? Mayer? Ranking the Red Sox's options at first base - ESPN

The Boston Red Sox front office dreamed that this would be the year that Triston Casas would fully blossom, mashing 30 homers and fully exploiting Fenway Park's dimensions in a way that other left-handed hitters have. But Casas is out for the year after rupturing his left patellar tendon — and now manager Alex Cora must find a replacement.

But this is not a situation in which the Red Sox have to scramble for help outside the organization. Evaluators with other teams scan Boston's big league roster and organizational depth and believe the Red Sox are in a strong position, with a lot of options.

Based on feedback from front office-types, scouts and major league staffers, here are the best first-base options for the Red Sox, in order of collective preference of those we spoke to.

1. Rafael Devers

As of Tuesday afternoon, Cora said he hadn't asked Devers about a move to first, and some rival evaluators believe that makes sense due to the political complications. After Devers was surprised by the late-winter signing of Alex Bregman and initially rejected the idea of moving from third base, Devers eventually went along with a shift to designated hitter.

«He already made one big change, so it'd be tough to ask him to do another in-season,» one evaluator said. «Leave him at DH and let him get comfortable there.»

Said another: «He's gone all-in at designated hitter.»

But that doesn't preclude Devers from knocking on Cora's door and telling his manager he would like to move, which could be the best-case scenario for the Red Sox. And in doing this, Devers could be embracing the inevitable — because eventually, he's probably going to move to first base. Devers is in the third year of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract that runs