Rafael Devers’ toughest job? Leading the 2023 Boston Red Sox

In the Boston Red Sox’s clubhouse at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, the gravitational pull emanates from the corner locker. While most players get one locker to store their equipment, this one is super-sized, with an extra cabinet and a bench. The space, next to the door nearest the field, is reserved for Red Sox royalty to hold court. When the ballpark opened in 2012, the locker belonged to David Ortiz. He passed it on to Dustin Pedroia in 2016, who handed it over to Xander Bogaerts heading into the 2020 season.

After Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres this offseason, there was a clear heir apparent: third baseman Rafael Devers, the new face of the franchise, who signed a 10-year, $313.5 million extension in January.

“He’s been a leader of this team for a while here now,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “When he talks in that clubhouse, it’s important to those guys.”

In recent years, Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi and Christian Vazquez were depended upon as leaders and to answer the tough questions from the Boston media and their team’s fans. Now, much of that falls on Devers, who until now hasn’t been expected to be the guy, the one person everyone turns to in the biggest moments to provide motivation and leadership.

At the moment, that responsibility isn’t at the top of Devers’ mind.

“I don’t really see myself too much as a leader right now,” Devers said through an interpreter. “I just try to be one of the guys. We have a lot of new guys in the clubhouse now, and I just want them to have the confidence to come up and approach me with any questions they have.”

The transition in clubhouse leadership comes during a tumultuous time in franchise history. Pessimism reigns among Red Sox fans. The team’s offseason moves — highlighted by Devers’ extension, as well as adding Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida — weren’t enough to erase the sour taste of losing Bogaerts, which had resparked…