Giants' Rafael Devers Trade Backfires as Season Spirals and Red Sox Surge

But baseball, like life, is a game of timing. And San Francisco’s might’ve been disastrously off.

The Rafael Devers Trade: A Tale Of Two Cities

Since acquiring Devers, the Giants have gone from playoff hopefuls to trade deadline sellers, watching their postseason dreams crumble with a 15-26 skid that flipped their season on its head. What looked like a power move has aged like milk. Meanwhile, the Red Sox? They’re scorching hot — a 26-15 record since the deal, including a pair of massive winning streaks that have catapulted them ahead of the Yankees and right into the thick of the AL East race.

Devers has been a tale of two cities. In Boston, he looked like his All-Star self, slashing .272 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 73 games. But since putting on the orange and black, he's cooled off dramatically, hitting just .227 with five homers and 19 RBIs over 41 games. A change of scenery hasn’t sparked a surge — it’s revealed a slump.

Giants Sell At MLB Trade Deadline

So instead of doubling down at the deadline, the Giants hit the eject button.

Camilo Doval, their flame-throwing closer, is now a Yankee. In return, the Giants netted a package of prospects headlined by infielder Jesús Rodríguez and promising arms like Trystan Vrieling and Carlos De La Rosa. Tyler Rogers, their funky delivery setup man, is off to Queens in exchange for José Buttó, outfield prospect Drew Gilbert, and right-hander Blade Tidwell. Even Mike Yastrzemski — a clubhouse staple — was dealt to Kansas City for pitcher Yunior Marte.

These aren't retooling moves. They're rebooting ones.

The Giants Lost The Rafael Devers Trade (So Far)

San Francisco bet big — and early — on Devers being the final piece. Instead, they discovered that their roster wasn’t close to contention-ready. The supporting cast crumbled, the bullpen unraveled, and the lineup outside of Devers couldn’t keep up. It’s not that Devers isn’t elite — he is. But one bat, even a premier one, can’t carry a team without a solid foundation.

The Giants misread where they stood in their competitive arc. And now, they’re left with an expensive star at first base (on some days) and a long to-do list for the offseason. Building a contender requires more than star power — it takes cohesion, chemistry, and a core.

And clearly, the Giants are still searching for theirs while Boston's replacements for Devers (including Roman Anthony) continue to dominate around the league.

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