As the slump of Rafael Devers (San Francisco Giants), brought in through a blockbuster trade, continues, the response from local media in San Francisco is growing cold.
The San Francisco Chronicle, a local newspaper in San Francisco, pointed to Devers’ rebound as the ‘key’ in an article forecasting the second half of the San Francisco Giants on the 17th (Korea time).
Devers, who was a one-club man with the Boston Red Sox, unexpectedly donned the San Francisco uniform through a surprise blockbuster trade last month. San Francisco took the risk of giving up Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, and minor league prospects to bring in Boston’s superstar. With Devers onboard, San Francisco was considered a strong contender to threaten the stronghold of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the absolute powerhouse of the National League West.
A left-handed slugger from the Dominican Republic, Devers made his Major League debut with Boston in 2017 and spent nine seasons there as a franchise star. Before the 2023 season, he even signed a massive 11-year, $331 million (approximately 456 billion won) extension, but he experienced his first trade in the third year of that contract.
Devers achieved a batting average of .279 with 1,136 hits, 215 home runs, 696 RBIs, and 663 runs scored over 1,053 games with Boston. He was selected as an American League All-Star three times (2021, 2022, 2024), won the Silver Slugger award twice (2021, 2023), and even tasted victory in the 2018 World Series.
However, his performance after moving to San Francisco has fallen short of expectations. Over 25 games, he recorded a batting average of .220 (18 hits in 89 at-bats), 2 home runs, 10 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .330, and a slugging percentage of .326. With the key hitter silent, San Francisco’s ranking has dropped to 3rd in the West Division. They are realistically facing a wildcard competition, trailing the Dodgers by 6 games, with the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres showing strong performance, making it challenging.
The San Francisco Chronicle noted, “Devers’ awakening in the second half is essential,” and pointed out, “Devers, a player with a career batting average of .277 and three All-Star selections, has only managed a batting average of .220 with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs in 25 games since being traded to the Giants. Acquiring Devers was an important decision by Director General Buster Posey,” sharply criticizing Devers’ slump.
The media also predicted that San Francisco might attempt another trade to bolster its starting rotation. The San Francisco Chronicle reported, “The Giants’ pitching staff has been the backbone of the team this season, but the Director General may consider additional reinforcements. Given that they gave up Harrison and Hicks to bring in Devers, if Justin Verlander and Hayden Birdsong show unstable conditions in the second half, they might acquire one more starting pitcher.”
