What SF Giants Rafael Devers trade means for Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores

The SF Giants made a shocking move on Sunday with their blockbuster trade for Red Sox star Rafael Devers. This move has many ramifications, but what will the ramifications be for Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores?

The trade for Devers is still going to take time to process. While it was interesting to think about what a trade for Devers could look like, it still seemed highly improbable. The Giants are hoping they are going to get a big bat, but they will have to figure out how his presence will impact two other players.

How SF Giants blockbuster trade will impact Chapman and Flores

While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, it seems highly likely that the bulk of Devers' time with the Giants will be as a designated hitter. Prior to this season, Devers was primarily a third baseman but that changed after Boston signed Alex Bregman this offseason. Since then, Devers has been Boston's DH and issues arose when the team asked him to play first base.

While Matt Chapman is currently on the IL, plugging Devers in at third base seems a bit risky since he has not played third base at all this season. Asking him to play first base does not seem wise either since he did not want to do that in Boston.

When everyone is healthy on the Giants, what makes the most sense is to have Chapman at third, Wilmer Flores at first base, and Devers as the DH. Flores has primarily been the team's DH this year and he has done amazing in that role, but he will most likely be asked to move in order to accomodate the team's new big bat.

Chapman should not in any way be worried that Devers is going to supplant him at third. Chapman is a five-time Gold Glove winner and is a far superior defender at third base. Devers' value lies in his bat so it makes complete sense to have him focus solely on hitting which has the added benefit of keeping him a bit fresher by not having him play in the field.

In short, Chapman's role with the team will not change at all while Flores is going to have to see more time at first base. He is a selfless team player so he will surely do whatever is asked of him and it should not be a huge adjustment since 2025 has been the first year where Flores has mainly been a DH. One just hopes the extra time in the field does not lead to injury and does not disrupt his flow at the plate.

The Devers trade is going to take years to fully digest and assess, but for now it should not disrupt two of the team's key veterans very much at all.