Aug 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin (6) looks on at the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Giants Becoming Sellers at MLB Trade Deadline Will Likely Be Right Move

Originally posted on San Francisco Giants on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 9:01 AM ET

While the San Francisco Giants have played a little bit better in their last five games, there has been a shocking collapse since the All-Star break.

Coming into the season, the Giants were predicted to be a .500 team by most. They didn’t do a ton over the offseason to improve, with the addition of Willy Adames being the only significant splash.

However, the team got off to a really strong start and was very much in the National League playoff picture up until the All-Star break. Furthermore, with the team performing well, Buster Posey got aggressive and pulled off an early blockbuster trade for Rafael Devers.

The acquisition of Devers figured to be a sign of things to come for the franchise, which seemingly was going to be a buyer at the trade deadline. However, after the All-Star break, things went south.

Rafael Devers - San Francisco Giants (20)
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Even though they already were buyers with the addition of Devers, they quickly changed course.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently wrote that it was disheartening to see the Giants become sellers at the trade deadline after what was a great start to the season.

“The Giants turning into sellers at the trade deadline was on nobody's bingo card when they got to 12 games over .500 on June 13, much less when they traded for Rafael Devers just days later. That should have super-charged them.”

It is never an easy decision on whether or not to be a seller at the deadline with a team that is in the middle of the pack, but it likely was the right choice for San Francisco.

This might have simply been a team that overachieved early, and the brutal start to the second half likely made the decision to move assets a bit easier.

Dodgers, Padres Too Strong for Giants in NL West Out Race

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Within their division, there are two World Series contenders in the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants just simply couldn’t contend with these two, and the Padres got even better at the deadline.

Fortunately, while they were buyers when they traded for Devers, he isn’t a rental player. The star slugger is someone that the franchise can build around for years to come.

Of the moves that the Giants made, the bullpen will likely be taking a significant step backward for the rest of the campaign. This was a unit that was one of the best in baseball and a major reason for the success of the team. However, after trading both Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers, the unit won’t be the same.

Even though it might have been disheartening after the strong start to the season, the Giants being sellers at the trade deadline will likely be the right move for the franchise in the long run.