Why SF Giants Rafael Devers trade will silently pay off this offseason

The SF Giants made a big move in the 2025 season by trading for left-handed slugger Rafael Devers. The move has already done a lot of the heavy lifting for the Giants this offseason as they will not necessarily need another big bat.

This offseason, the DH/1B free agent market is going to be a wild one. With veteran sluggers Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger, Josh Naylor, and Marcell Ozuna all available in free agency, there will likely be a feeding frenzy among teams looking to beef up their slugging percentage this winter. Not to mention a pair of slugging third basemen, Eugenio Suarez and Munetaka Murakami, who probably are better suited as DH as well.

SF Giants saved themselves a lot of trouble with Rafael Devers trade

The point is, a lot of money is going to spent this offseason on guys who are long-term fits at DH or 1B. Probably a lot more money than the players are actually worth. But when everyone is looking to strike gold, everyone is willing to go all-in.

The Giants, on the other hand, have the luxury of sitting this particular market out. That's because they traded for Rafael Devers in June. At the time, the trade seemed a little insane. San Francisco was adding a DH for the next nine years at an expensive price.

Yet now, the trade looks genius for more than one reason. Not only do the Giants have their DH of the future, but they will no longer be tempted to compete with the Dodgers and Yankees in a crowded market for power-hitting corner-infield/DH's this offseason. The Giants will save their money and be able to put it into more useful places, like second base or the outfield.

Having Devers on the roster is one of the best safety nets in the league. Knowing that you have a player on the roster who is guaranteed to hit 30 home runs and drive in 90 runs a year takes a lot of pressure off the front office in the postseason. Suddenly, instead of trying to take big swings, the front office can operate logically and build a contender with precision.

Devers might have started slow, and while the trade did not take the Giants to the playoffs in 2025, it is already paying off in big ways this offseason. Hopefully it will lead to success in 2026 and beyond.