SF Giants send message in obtaining Rafael Devers from Boston Red Sox
1 of 5 | The San Francisco Giants acquired All-Star infielder Rafael Devers on Sunday through a trade with the Boston Red Sox. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 16 (UPI) -- The San Francisco Giants sent their clubhouse a major message by pulling the trigger on a blockbuster trade for Boston Red Sox All-Star infielder Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames said.
"I feel like it sends a message out there that we are going to compete," Adames said of the trade. "We are going to do whatever it takes to try to come over here and win the division."
Adames made the comments on the ESPN broadcast of the Giants' 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday in Los Angeles. Giants players got word of the trade 15 minutes before the game at Dodger Stadium.
The Giants agreed to send left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, outfielder prospect James Tibbs III and right-handed pitching prospect Jose Bello the Red Sox in exchange for the three-time All-Star.
The Giants (41-31) sit in second place in the National League West, two games behind the division-leading Dodgers (43-29). They also are in second place in the National League Wild Card race, which includes the Philadelphia Phillies (42-29) and San Diego Padres (39-31), among others.
Harrison was set to start against the Dodgers on Sunday, but was called back while he was on his way to the bullpen and informed he had been traded.
The three-year veteran has a 1-1 record with a 4.56 ERA through eight appearances this season. Harrison, 23, was a third-round pick by the Giants in the 2020 MLB Draft. He went 9-9 with a 4.48 ERA through his first 39 career appearances.
Hicks, 28, went 1-5 with a 6.47 ERA over his first 13 appearances this season. The seven-year veteran holds a 16-33 record with a 4.23 ERA over 254 career appearances.
The Giants have the third-worst batting average .232 in the National League. They totaled the fourth-most strikeouts (614) in the National League and are tied for 19th in MLB for home runs (70).
"We needed a bat like him," Adames said of Devers. "Obviously, to get him, everybody in the clubhouse is thrilled."
Devers hit .272 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs through his first 73 games this season. He led the American League with 56 walks. The nine-year veteran hit .279 with 215 home runs over the first 1,053 games of his career.
"This is something we really needed," Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters. "There's a lot we had to give up to get him, but this fits us perfectly. It's a power left-handed bat, a guy that can go the other way and hit for power at our ballpark. It's tailor-made for us. Kudos to the front office to swing this."
Devers, 28, signed a 10-year, $313.5 million pact with the Red Sox in 2023, but the relationship experienced turbulence this off-season when he was asked to move from third base to make way for recently acquired infielder Alex Bregman.
He initially said he would not move into a designated hitter role, but eventually relented and changed positions. Devers then told the Red Sox that he also would not play first base after a void formed at that position due to Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury.
Devers appeared in 951 games at third base for the Red Sox through the first eight years of his career. He was their designated hitter for all 73 of his appearances this season.
He is expected to fill in at designated hitter and third base for the Giants. Giants All-Star third baseman Matt Chapman is on the injured list because of a right hand injury he sustained during a win over the Atlanta Braves on June 8 in San Francisco.
Casey Schmitt filled in at third base for the Giants on Sunday, but fouled a ball off his ankle and left the game early. Dominic Smith and Wilmer Flores served as the Giants' respective first baseman and designated hitter.
Smith started 11 games at first base this season. Flores appeared as a designated hitter 63 times and at first base four times this season. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said Devers' position with his new team will be discussed internally.
"That's a conversation for myself, Bob and [general manager] Zack Minasian to have with him," Posey told reporters, according to MLB.com.
The Giants will host the Cleveland Guardians (35-35) at 9:45 p.m. EDT Tuesday in San Francisco.
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