The San Francisco Giants stunned the baseball world on Sunday evening, reaching an agreement out of nowhere on a trade with the Boston Red Sox for star slugger Rafael Devers. It's exactly the sort of big-time bat this team has desperately needed for years now, and they acquired him without giving up any of their top-tier prospects or anyone in their current MLB rotation. Pretty good work by first-year president Buster Posey.
Of course, while landing a hitter of Devers' caliber is always a good idea, it's not one that comes without some consequences. Devers' contract and his lack of defensive flexibility make him an interesting case, and as San Francisco looks to accomodate its new face of the franchise, several players could get caught in the crossfire.
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5. 1B/DH Wilmer Flores
Flores is now in his sixth season with San Francisco, which may shock those of us who are old enough to remember him as a teary-eyed young infielder with the New York Mets. Flores has developed into a rock-solid big-league bat in the years since, but as he nears his 34th birthday, he's become more or less exclusively a first baseman and DH — and that throws his future very much into doubt with Devers coming to town.
In the near term, there are enough plate appearances to go around; Flores and Dom Smith can remain in a first-base platoon with Devers serving as the full-time designated hitter. But Flores is in the final year of a three-year contract, and with Devers and Matt Chapman on board (plus the presence of a top prospect we'll get to shortly), it's hard to see where he fits in the Giants' plans beyond 2025.
4. INF Casey Schmitt
A former second-round pick back in 2020, it wasn't too long ago that Schmitt was considered a foundational piece in San Francisco. But his bat failed to materialize, and he slowly became an afterthought as the team moved on from the Farhan Zaidi era.
Until lately, that is. The injury to Chapman and LaMonte Wade Jr.'s DFA have opened up an opportunity for Schmitt, and he's taken full advantage of his second chance, with a .725 OPS in 26 games that's backed up by rock-solid batted-ball data. Schmitt is hitting the ball harder than he ever has before, and he's pulling it in the air more too — a pretty good combination, and one that could put him back on the big-league radar if it sticks.
If it does, the Giants might have a decision to make. Even if Schmitt develops into a quality MLB hitter, there's just not a ton of room for him here unless San Francisco wants to unseat Tyler Fitzgerald from second base. Could he play himself into a trade, either at this year's deadline or over the offseason? There should still be some teams willing to take a chance on a 26-year-old with his pedigree.
3. SS Willy Adames
In the simplest sense, Adames' future is secure: In the first year of a seven-year, $182 million deal, he's going to be the Giants' shortstop for the foreseeable future. But whether he can actually live up to that contract has everything to do with Devers.
It hasn't been the start that Adames had envisioned with his new team: He has a .624 OPS and just eight homers on the year, and he's hitting below the Mendoza Line so far in June. Then again, it's also fair to point out that he hasn't had a ton of lineup protection around him; that, combined with the pressure of being the face of a franchise starved for star hitters, would wear on anybody.
Devers knows that pressure better than anybody, and he also knows how to thrive (on the field, at least) despite it. The three-time All-Star now assumes the mantle of San Francisco's lodestar, and Adames can take a deep breath, relax and get some better pitches to hit with Devers either in front of or behind him.
2. 3B Matt Chapman
In a way, Chapman's presence on the roster (when he returns from the IL, at least) should help resolve any potential Devers messiness. The 32-year-old remains one of the better defensive third basemen in the sport; that's a large part of the reason why San Francisco signed him to a six-year, $151 million deal over the winter, and they certainly aren't going to move him off the position any time soon.
That makes things much simpler for Devers, as long as he's not bothered by ceding the hot corner to another established veteran. Hopefully, coming to a new team rather than being usurped on his old one will help ease that process, and Devers can focus on becoming the best first baseman (and occasional DH) he can be. Remember: Raffy never actually objected to playing a different position, he simply objected to the way that the Red Sox handled things.
This might get a little messy as Chapman ages and the Giants are stuck with two sluggers in their mid-30s who need reps at first base and DH, but that's a problem for another day.
1. 1B Bryce Eldridge
Now we arrive at the big question. Eldridge is unquestionably the jewel of San Francisco's farm system, the lone Giant ranked in MLB Pipeline's top 100 (he checks in at No. 19). A first-round pick in 2023, he's rocketed his way through the Minors so far, reaching Triple-A before his 21st birthday. The only problem? While he's gotten some time in the outfield, his massive 6-foot-7 frame would seem to make him a better fit at first long term.
So, how will that resolve itself in 2026 and beyond? Maybe Eldridge takes the first-base job by the horns, and Devers is content to be the team's full-time DH with Chapman at third. Maybe Eldridge can play a bit of right field, and the team rotates things based on matchups. Maybe San Francisco flips him for different big-league pieces at the trade deadline or over the winter, although that feels pretty unlikely given their lack of organizational depth. These are all good problems for Posey and Co. to have, but they're going to take some figuring out.