Giants Have Performed at a Shockingly Low Level Since Acquiring Rafael Devers

There was a lot of excitement and optimism surrounding the San Francisco Giants when it was announced they were acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox in a shocking blockbuster trade.

One of the best sluggers in the game, he was going to address the Giants’ biggest weakness: their ability to score runs. As one of the more pleasant surprises in baseball up until the trade was made on June 15, their president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, knew more help was needed to sustain that success. So, he went out and acquired a three-time All-Star to address their offensive woes.

It was a deal lauded by everyone from fans to people around the league. Acquiring that kind of talent is always going to garner headlines. The price was fair, with San Francisco sending left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, 2024 first-round pick James Tibbs III and right-handed pitching prospect Jose Bello to the Red Sox.

There would be some long-term questions that had to be answered, such as where Devers would be in the lineup. Would he start to learn how to play first base, where top prospect Bryce Eldridge is waiting in the wings? Matt Chapman, their star third baseman, was injured and Devers could always slide back over to that spot. That, on top of taking on his massive contract and how that will age, are legitimate concerns.

However, even the most pessimistic of people couldn’t have foreseen what would occur in the time since. Not only has Devers struggled to make as big an impact as people thought he would, but the team’s overall production has tanked. As shared by Thomas Nestico on X, the Giants have had the worst record in baseball since acquiring him.