Yankees Third Base Answer Could be $151 Million Star After Rafael Devers Trade
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The San Francisco Giants shocked the baseball world Sunday night by acquiring $313 million star Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox.
The biggest winner is Devers, who now gets a fresh start with the Giants and can slot into the lineup at third base. Although, the Red Sox's biggest rival may now be second in line for the biggest breadwinners.
As the trade deadline nears, the New York Yankees have been searching for an answer in their infield. That long-term solution could be Giants third baseman Matt Chapman.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 7: Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants hits a walk off home run during the game at Oracle Park on June 7, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 7: Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants hits a walk off home run during the game at Oracle Park on June 7, 2025 in San Francisco, California.Chapman is currently on the injured list but is slowly working his way back and could start a rehab assignment as early as a week.
Giants got good news on Matt Chapman today. He met a specialist in Los Angeles and was told he can begin rehabbing his hand in about a week, has to wear his splint until then. — Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) June 13, 2025
The Giants' $151 million third baseman will have to watch his potential replacement at least until he starts his rehab assignment. Prior to his injury, he was hitting .242 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI.
Normally, the Giants would have any and all leverage as the 32-year-old infielder has five 1/2 years of team control left. However, that flipped when the Giants brought in Devers. Now, San Francisco will have to take the best offer they can get for Chapman, who won't be happy playing second fiddle. That is, if Devers does not remain in the designated hitter role.
The former Athletics third baseman would be a dream come true for the Bronx Bombers. He's won five Gold Gloves in his career, including two Platinum Gloves, and he's also been a recipient of the Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Chapman is also a career .241 hitter with a career OPS+ of 119 to this point, showing he has an above-average bat. New York has struggled to find a player who can be the best of both worlds for them, and Brian Cashman may have just hit the jackpot.
More MLB: Little-Known Rookie Now '1 of 5' In Dodgers Rotation, Dave Roberts Insists
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The trade creates a massive hole in the Boston lineup, as Devers was leading the team with 15 homers, 58 RBI, and a .401 OBP. Who is the face of the Red Sox now? This team belongs to the kids now. Roman Anthony is here to stay, as is Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Who is going to DH for the Red Sox? With Devers no longer locked into the DH spot in Boston, Alex Cora will have no shortage of options to occupy the position. It actually creates quite a bit of roster flexibility to get the young players in the lineup everyday along with vets returning from injury. There will still be musical chairs in the outfield with Jarren Duran, Rafaela, Anthony, and Wilyer Abreu when he returns from the IL later this week. We may even see Masataka Yoshida make his way back to the Majors and get some time at DH. And when Bregman returns, Cora will have a chance to give him a break from playing the field. 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The only position player heading to Boston is first baseman/outfielder James Tibbs III, who was drafted 13th out of Florida State in 2024 and was San Francisco's No. 4-ranked prospect. Really though, the most important thing for the Red Sox was getting off the remaining $250 million owed to a player they didn't believe was invested in the team anymore. That's not the most important thing for fans though, which is why most Boston fans are waking up extremely angry Monday morning. The Red Sox traded their franchise player, and essentially got peanuts in return. Were any other teams interested in Rafael Devers? According to Sean McAdam of Mass Live, the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays all inquired about Devers' availability. But those teams didn't express the same level of interest or motivation as the Giants did to get a deal done. Is anyone left from the 2018 World Series Champs? Nope. Just skipper Alex Cora. Devers was the last remaining player from Boston's most recent title, and he's now joining Betts and Bogaerts in the National League West. Tanner Houck, who debuted for Boston in 2020, is now the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox. In the Boston sports landscape, Bruins forward David Pastrnak (11 seasons) is now the longest-tenured star, following by Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (nine seasons).
