The San Francisco Giants made one of the most shocking trades in recent MLB history, acquiring Rafael Devers in a blockbuster deal with the Boston Red Sox. The goal of the trade was abundantly clear - the Giants want to win now. Devers' presence makes the Giants clear-cut contenders in a stacked National League.
I get that the challenge of winning the NL Pennant is a tough one. The Los Angeles Dodgers are defending champions for a reason. The New York Mets are as well-rounded a team as there is in the game. The Chicago Cubs have perhaps the most dynamic offense in the sport. Even the San Diego Padres cannot be ignored in the National League West.
However, the Giants are 41-31 and just added Devers, who, when at his best, is an MVP-caliber player. That cannot be overlooked. These four reasons show why the Giants should be viewed as legitimate candidates to win the NL Pennant.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
4) There's still time for the Giants to make another splash
First and foremost, the Giants made this Devers trade in mid-June. The timing of the deal was part of what made it so unprecedented. This gives the Giants another month and a half to improve even further.
Where the Giants look to improve remains to be seen. With trading Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks to the Red Sox in order to get Devers, maybe they'll look to add another arm or two. Maybe they'll look to add another bat to pair with Devers in the middle of the order.
The Giants are all-in and won't simply stop to improve after acquiring Devers. They have tradable prospects, money to spend, and a good roster to build around. The fact that they have another six weeks to make a big move should have Giants fans very excited for what's to come.
3) The Giants have a dynamic duo in their rotation few can match
In the postseason, having a lethal starting rotation goes a long way. The Giants might not have the same depth other contenders have, and are putting a lot of faith in relatively inexperienced players like Landen Roupp and Hayden Birdsong, but they have a dynamic duo that is as good as any in the game.
Logan Webb might be the most underrated starting pitcher in the league. He's been among the best starters in the National League for years now, but it feels like he gets little recognition. It's easy to forget how good Robbie Ray is when healthy considering he hasn't been healthy in a long time, but he's been healthy this season, and he, too, has been dominant.
Both Webb and Ray are in the top five in the National League in ERA. They're both inside the top 10 in strikeouts. Webb is second in innings pitched, and Ray is just outside the top 10. Having those two guys starting multiple times in a postseason series should put San Francisco in a good spot.
2) The Giants' bullpen is as dominant as any
Another important key to success in the postseason is having a bullpen that can close games. It's safe to say this Giants bullpen is built to do exactly that, and it might be the best in the game.
The Giants' 2.67 bullpen ERA leads the majors, and is nearly half a run better than the second-best team in that metric. Randy Rodriguez might be the most dominant reliever in the game this season, Camilo Doval is pitching as well as he ever has and has reclaimed his closer spot as a result, and Tyler Rogers is having his best season as well.
Overall, the Giants have five relievers who have made at least 29 appearances this season and four of them have ERAs at or below 1.69. The only exception to that is Ryan Walker, who, despite a down year this season, has a 2.51 ERA in his last 15 appearances and was a dominant closer as recently as last season.
If San Francisco leads a given postseason game after five or six innings, Giants fans have to like their chances to close out a win thanks to this dominant bullpen.
1) Rafael Devers fills the Giants' biggest need
As exciting as it is that the Giants can continue to add, and as good as their pitching is, the Giants have to like their chances because they acquired a player who filled their biggest need. The Giants desperately needed a big bat. They got, at worst, a top ten hitter in the game. It's tough for Buster Posey to have done better. Devers was exactly what they needed.
The Giants are currently 14th in the majors in runs scored, 19th in home runs, and 21st in OPS. Their offense might not be dreadful, but it certainly didn't appear to be World Series-caliber. Well, adding Devers to a lineup consisting of solid hitters like Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames should have Giants fans excited.
He's a player who will not only put up numbers himself, but his presence should help boost others. Pitchers have to worry so much about Devers beating them that they might not pitch a guy like Willy Adames, for example, who has struggled, as tough.
This trade was a home run for San Francisco, and should pay immediate dividends.