It behooves them to say that. I don't think they expect Devers to be the answer this season. But ...
1. Dombrowski has had no issue promoting aggressively
2. Devers has gotten off to a magnificent start in AA as one of the youngest AA'ers around
3. If Devers performance holds up through a half season and the scouts think he can handle it (and you have a look a bit beyond the stats - like how Moncada's superficial numbers tore up AA, but he was also striking out a ton against AA-competition), a promotion would be aggressive, but not crazy. Bat him 9th, let him figure it out.
I think they'd love Sandoval to be a 2-3 win player again ... but I don't think anything has been decided. Sandoval - while I have defended him so far - has not done anything to end the discussion.