Rafael Devers Trade Sets Up Huge San Francisco Giants-Boston Red Sox Series

The San Francisco Giants gave up part of their future to acquire Rafael Devers, and it is unclear how that decision will affect them two, four, or six years down the road.

But for this weekend against the Boston Red Sox, the roster construction is about the same as it was before the blockbuster transaction took the baseball world by storm. And Giants fans should feel excited.

The Red Sox are coming to Oracle Park, so Devers will be able to feel supported in the comfort of his new home stadium and not face the swarm of boos at Fenway Park. But the series will still feel bigger than it would have been had the trade happened after the series or not at all.

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San Francisco is on a bit of a skid, having lost four in a row. But the Giants are in a good position at 41-33, sitting in second place in the National League West. And with the pitching mismatches coming up in their series, there's a lot of momentum to gain.

The Giants' Hayden Birdsong, who has turned into one of the better young surprises in the MLB, will matchup against Boston's Hunter Dobbins, who had six innings of shutout ball against the New York Yankees on Saturday. He as a 2.25 ERA in three June starts.

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Birdsong has made a wonderful transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation. He has a 2.79 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He has not allowed more than three runs in any outing this year as a relief pitcher or starter.

San Francisco's Landon Roupp will go on Saturday against Boston's Brayan Bello. Roupp had a bad night against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, going 1.2 innings and allowing six runs. But he entered the game with a 3.29 ERA and posted six or more innings in four of his previous five starts.

Bello has a 3.49 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. But according to Baseball Savant, his K% is in the 16th percentile and his BB% is in the 19th percentile. The Giants' offense ranks just 20th in OBP, but Bello should offer plenty of opportunities with runners in scoring position.

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The last matchup of the Giants' Robbie Ray against the Red Sox' Lucas Giolito could be the most exciting for San Francisco fans.

Ray has a 2.68 ERA and 1.12 WHIP and has been a key part of the Giants' success. Giolito has struggled this year after missing all of 2024, posting a 4.73 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. While he has not allowed a run in his last two starts, his one previous to that was a 1.2-inning, eight-hit, seven-run collapse against the Los Angeles Angels.

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