SF Giants blockbuster trade looks even better after Alex Bregman signing

Fireworks went off this weekend and it went beyond what was an electric start to the NFL playoffs. In the midst of the Chicago Bears mounting a comeback, the Chicago Cubs added to the fireworks show. The Cubs signed Alex Bregman to a five year $175 million deal. This move sends shockwaves through MLB, particularly for the Boston Red Sox who may be regretting their blockbuster Rafael Devers trade with the SF Giants.

SF Giants reap benefits from Red Sox missteps

There may not be a bigger “fumbling the ball” moment than what the Red Sox have done. This is a club that brought in Alex Bregman to help improve their infield defense. The original plan was for him to play second base, only to then tell Devers that Bregman will play third base. Furthermore, the club then told Devers to put his glove away and just focus on hitting. Very early into the big ticket extension he was made a designated hitter. 

The relationship got soured and it never got better. When Triston Casas went down, the team then asked Devers to hop back into the field and play first base and he refused. The relationship never got better and in comes Buster Posey who was willing to be aggressive. The Giants and the Red Sox went back and forth and then ultimately the deal got done. 

Originally the Red Sox wanted more in the deal, primarily focusing on top prospect Bryce Eldridge. The Giants refused, making this trade so much better on the surface. With Craig Breslow wanting more than the Giants would want to part with, a phone call to John Henry changed the framework of the trade. The return for the Red Sox doesn’t look good, but for the Giants they get a legitimate bat that they desperately needed. Not only did the Red Sox fumble everything with Devers, they lost Bregman to their own demise. 

Adding a player of Devers’ caliber is rare and Posey took advantage of a situation that was going nowhere but downward. Not only did they give up little for the player (Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Kyle Tibbs III), they got one of the best players in the league. 

Devers had a historically bad start to the season, but ultimately improved as the year moved on. Also, he’s firmly one of the best power bats in the entire league. Devers had the best hard-hit rate of his career in 2025, along with his highest average exit velocity. His barrel rate was among the best in the league (94th percentile), and he finished with 35 home runs. What stood out the most about Devers is his ability to see the ball in the batters box, as he had the highest walk rate of his career. 

Ironically, Devers will play first base for the Giants in 2026 and help anchor one of the better infield units in the entire league. Devers will now be a staple in the Giants lineup and could be part of a championship-winning team in San Francisco. It’s really crazy looking at the events that took place in Boston and how the Giants capitalized on it and how bad of a look it’s become for the Red Sox. Now they can watch from afar, as Devers will try to be the player he’s been his entire career.