When the San Francisco Giants acquired Rafael Devers, they expected to be right in the thick of World Series contention. Instead, somehow, they've been the worst team in the majors since the deal with a 13-23 record. As a result, they've fallen to 54-54 on the year, and have now made it abundantly clear that they'll be trade deadline sellers by trading Tyler Rogers away to the New York Mets.
This result is not one that Giants fans wanted, but the return on the Rogers deal looks pretty promising, especially when considering his contract status.
Now that the Giants have made it clear that they're sellers, Buster Posey must remain on the phones and express a willingness to part with other veterans as well.
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3) Mike Yastrzemski, outfielder
Much like Rogers, Mike Yastrzemski has spent his entire seven-year career with the Giants and has had some great moments. With that being said, he's in the final year of his contract, and it's hard to envision him sticking around beyond this season. Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee are solidified in two of the outfield spots, and the third spot should belong to Drew Gilbert, an outfield prospect San Francisco acquired in the Rogers trade, sooner rather than later.
If Yastrzemski won't be back next season, the Giants might as well get something for him now. The return won't be anything outrageous giving Yastrzemski's expiring contract status and the fact that he has a sub-.700 OPS this season, but his value shouldn't be non-existent.
When used correctly, Yastrzemski has value. The 34-year-old has slashed .253/.366/.394 against right-handers this season, with seven of his eight home runs. He's been practically unusable against lefties, but in a platoon role for the right situation, Yastrzemski can be a decent piece, largely because of his high-end on-base ability.
2) Justin Verlander, starting pitcher
The Giants hoped to milk the last ounce of baseball Justin Verlander had left in him, but this season hasn't exactly gone well for the future Hall of Famer. The 42-year-old has gone 1-8 with a 4.53 ERA in 18 starts and 89.1 innings of work, and he's gone past five innings just twice in his last nine starts.
I'm not sure how much, if any, value a 42-year-old whose best baseball is clearly far beyond him at this point will have, but even if the Giants can't trade him, what would be the point of keeping him? Verlander is on a one-year deal, and could very easily retire at the end of the season. Cutting bait with him, however they decide to do it, makes the most sense.
Doing so not only allows Verlander he deserves to potentially win another World Series elsewhere, but it also creates an opening for a younger pitcher, perhaps Blade Tidwell, another player acquired for Rogers, to fill in.
1) Camilo Doval, relief pitcher
This is the big one that Giants fans surely won't like. Camilo Doval has had his ups and downs, but he's pitched mostly well this season following a brutal 2024 campaign, reclaiming the closer role in the process. Doval has a 3.15 ERA in 46 appearances and 45.2 innings of work this season, and he's converted 15 of his 19 save opportunities while tacking on seven holds. He walks too many, as he always has, and his strikeout rate is slightly down from where it usually is, but his stuff is still great, and he's a 28-year-old who'd come with two additional years of club control.
The reason I believe the Giants should strongly consider trading Doval ultimately comes down to the Rogers return. The Giants got more than anyone could've expected for a couple of months of a 34-year-old reliever, albeit a very good one. If the Giants got that kind of return for Rogers, what kind of return can they get for Doval, who is six years younger, has tremendous upside, and would come with two additional years of club control?
The Giants shouldn't just give Doval away, but there's every reason to believe that a contender will be willing to offer the Giants a package that's too enticing to turn down. If that ends up being the case, Posey should take it and run.