Rafael Devers and his annoyance with errors at third base. Red Devils in Focus.

He intercepted the next ball flawlessly and shook his head as if to say, "Why can't I do that all the time?" Alex Cora believes a big part of Devers' problem is that one bad play leads to another because of his irritation. That's a problem for mental preparation coordinator Ray Fuentes, who is around the team every day.

The Sox are also working with Devers on his preparation before throwing. That routine has been inconsistent.

Cora also believes playing a full season with Trevor Story will help Devers. Story's unusual agility will allow Devers to play closer to the line and have less space to defend.

Either way, the Sox need Devers to stay at third base and develop as much as possible. They have Triston Casas at first base, and they don't want a 27-year-old baseball player on a $313.5 million salary through 2033.

A few other observations about the Sox:

• Craig Braslowplayed a big role in convincing Jon Lester to come to camp for two days. Lester respected Braslow as a teammate and agreed to wear the uniform again. Given his bitter 2014 exit, that's a good sign. Lester has a lot to offer given his success on the field and overcoming adversity.

• Media Guide 2024 cover featuring Devers, Casas, Story, Brian Bello and Masataka Yoshida. Kenley Jansen, the only 2023 All-Star Game participant and fifth highest paid player, did not make the cover. This doesn't seem coincidental given the persistent rumors of his possible trade. Media Guide also revealed that the Sox have 35 employees listed in the "Basic Research and Development" category. That's up from last season (33). In 2018, there were nine.