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San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Will Giants be buyers or sellers ahead of this week's trade deadline?
With the trade deadline looming Thursday, front offices around baseball kept an eye on the San Francisco Giants ' series against the Mets this weekend, including a number who sent scouts to Oracle Park. Sure, some teams out of it are focused on New York, which is in first place in the NL East and needs a starting pitcher and bullpen help while also looking at the Giants as likely buyers, in the market for a starter and a right-handed bat. Others, though, are wondering whether the Giants, losers of eight of 10 entering Sunday, might look to sell rather than buy. Executives and scouts who spoke to the Chronicle the past week aren't sure, but the consensus is that president of baseball operations Buster Posey is far more likely to go for it, with the Giants only 2½ games out of a playoff spot, than move any parts. That said, there was extra interest in Robbie Ray 's start against the Mets — any contender with a need would pay a great price for Ray, an All-Star and former Cy Young winner who will be a free agent after the season. Should the Giants flip outright to sellers this week, Tyler Rogers would be attractive to pretty much any club in a playoff spot. Other teams have such specific needs, the Giants conceivably could be sellers even while dealing with another seller. Take Seattle, a frequent trade partner under the previous front office and the team that dealt Ray to the Giants. The Mariners need a third baseman and no, they're not crazy, they're not asking about Matt Chapman, but there is a scenario in which the pitching-rich club could move a starter to San Francisco for a package that included Casey Schmitt. The Giants inquired about Luis Castillo last winter, but it's unlikely a playoff hopeful would deal a starter with an ERA under 4.00 even if they'd like to move salary. Seattle exec Jerry DiPoto is unafraid to pull the lever on just about any trade, though, so never say never. Castillo is signed through 2027 and has a vesting option for 2028. Reliever Ryan Walker is catnip for some playoff hopefuls, but he's under team control through 2029; as with Schmitt, the Giants aren't looking to deal him. To get a top-flight starter, though? Maybe. In a discussion with the Chronicle last week, Posey hinted that the team would listen on top prospects Bryce Eldridge and Carson Whisenhunt, saying, 'I think it's important to listen, I'll leave it at that. I think we have to listen on everything.' It's safe to assume that Eldridge is off limits for only the most major addition, say an All-Star caliber starter under team control beyond this year. Even that's a stretch, whether Rafael Devers is now the first baseman or not. (There are no indications the Twins are shopping Joe Ryan, who is not a free agent until 2028, and no, the Pirates aren't trading Paul Skenes.) One Giants minor-leaguer consistently mentioned by scouts and execs: Bo Davidson, a 23-year-old left-handed outfielder at Double-A Richmond. Davidson is batting .304 with 11 homers, 57 RBIs, 55 runs and 14 steals combined at two levels this season. He's currently ranked as the Giants' fifth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, fourth best by Baseball America. Several execs noted that Posey already pulled off what is likely to remain the biggest deal of the summer by acquiring Devers from Boston, he just did so early, on June 15. Even if the Giants do nothing else, the first-year exec might have won the trade deadline. Players, coaches and managers love getting help this time of year. It's usually a boost, a sign the front office and ownership believe in the team. With Devers already in the fold, now playing first and starting to hit, do the Giants need to do more to get that kind of vibes bump in the clubhouse? 'Even before that (Devers deal), I've done it long enough to know that you have to be happy with what you have, and if you get some help, then that's great,' Giants manager Bob Melvin said. 'And we got some big-time help before anybody else did, really, so we have enough here to go where we want to.'
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Giants exec preaches patience amid Rafael Devers slump
Rafael Devers' start to his San Francisco Giants career has gotten off to a bit of a slow start. The designated hitter is batting .206 with two home runs and 10 RBI with 36 strikeouts in 27 games going into Sunday's finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. In the five games prior to the All-Star break, Devers was in an 0-for-14 slump. But Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey wants fans to be patient with their newest member. 'It's an adjustment period,' Posey said during a recent appearance on KNBR. 'This guy's been in one organization his entire life, and now to come over, everything's different. Not just the ballpark and teammates, but where you're living. So, it's an adjustment period. It's just a matter of time before he gets going.' Devers, who was stunningly traded to San Francisco by the Boston Red Sox in June, began the season in a historic slump, going 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts to begin the 2025 MLB season. But he began to find a groove for Boston and had 15 home runs, 58 RBI and batted .272 before the trade. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Devers break out of another slump and begin to see the ball well as he continues to get adjusted to his new team. The three-time All-Star is dealing with a back injury that could be hindering him at the plate. It also doesn't help that Oracle Park has been known to be difficult to hit in. 'Raffy Devers has been in the big leagues for eight or nine years now,' Posey said. 'And a guy like that, you know it's just a matter of time before he gets going.' More Red Sox coverage How Red Sox star Alex Bregman's 'training day' ended in big pinch-hit homer Red Sox lose out on veteran free agent reliever Craig Breslow scouted over weekend (report) Failed bunt led to Boston Red Sox' first lead after 24 innings; 'Big moment' Red Sox CBO pulls back curtain on trade deadline plans Red Sox pitcher 'with nearly unhittable fastball' cracks MLB's Top 100 prospects Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Giants predicted to land struggling Sandy Alcántara at trade deadline
The San Francisco Giants have been aggressive under Buster Posey, and could continue being aggressive at the trade deadline. They could swing a trade for Sandy Alcántara. Alcántara is having a down year. However, at his peak, he is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. He won the National League Cy Young Award in 2022, but struggled in 2023 and missed all of last season. This year, he has a 7.22 ERA. The Miami Marlins could hold on to him and just wait for him to reestablish some trade value, as he is under club control through 2027. However, CBS Sports' Mike Axisa predicted the Giants would trade for him. "I will say Posey continues to big-game hunt and lands Alcantara at the trade deadline," wrote Axisa. "The Marlins are going to move him, that is a near certainty and not at all bold. It's Posey and the Giants swinging big and beating out teams with deeper farm systems to get it done. How does a trade package headlined by slugging first base prospect Bryce Eldridge and lefty Carson Whisenhunt sound? The Devers trade makes Eldridge expendable (or more expendable, anyway) and Whisenhunt is the cost of doing business. Adding Alcantara, even this year's version, to Robbie Ray and Logan Webb makes for a formidable 1-2-3 punch." While loanDepot Park has favored hitters, Oracle Park could have a positive effect on Alcántara. The Giants would be taking a risk by trading for him, but Posey may think he could see a resurgence in a new Giants are a half-game out of a wild card spot, and trading for Alcántara could be the type of move that gets them into the postseason. Even if Alcántara doesn't pitch like a Cy Young Award winner, if the Giants get him to improve at all, he could be a solid piece. More MLB:
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Buster Posey, Giants target pitching at the deadline, could seek a future slugger in Japan
SAN FRANCISCO — Giants president Buster Posey jumped the trade deadline by six weeks when he acquired left-handed slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox. Now, as the frenzy of the actual deadline approaches, Posey said his priority will be to lean into the team's strength. 'Look, I don't think you can ever have enough pitching,' Posey said Tuesday afternoon. 'So we'll just keep our options open for what might present itself on the pitching side of things.' Advertisement The Giants offense hasn't taken off with Devers in the fold. The team averaged 4.3 runs in 71 games before the trade and 3.8 runs in 22 games after it. The Giants' season average of 4.17 runs per game is 0.2 below league average. They've often scored just enough to squeak by while winning an MLB-most 21 one-run games. But they're also fully assembled for the first time after activating third baseman Matt Chapman and second baseman Casey Schmitt over the past week. It appears that adding Devers, and more than $250 million owed to him through 2033, will be the extent of the major lineup improvements. And Posey sounded OK with that. 'Right now I really like our lineup,' Posey said. 'I feel it's as deep as it's been with having Chapman back, Devers in the lineup now, Schmitt playing second.' Left-handed relief has emerged as a need after Erik Miller was diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament and placed on the injured list. Miller said he got the best possible news from an MRI result that showed a Grade 1 sprain, meaning that he could avoid Tommy John surgery with rest and rehab. It's possible that Miller, who battled shoulder issues as a prospect in the Phillies system but never had an elbow injury until now, could return by mid-August. It's also possible that he could experience a setback. Posey said the Giants are monitoring the list of left-handed options. Minnesota Twins left-hander Danny Coulombe, an impending free agent, has an 0.71 ERA and is being scouted by several clubs. Pittsburgh Pirates lefty Caleb Ferguson is another rental option who is holding left-handed hitters to a .164 average. Boston Red Sox left-hander Justin Wilson could be available as well. He's holding lefties to a .130 average and will be a free agent after the season. Pirates right-hander Dennis Santana has one more year of arbitration and could be interesting because he's got a reverse split. Lefties are hitting .104 against him. Advertisement The Giants are listening on potential starting pitchers as well after dealing young left-hander Kyle Harrison to Boston in the Devers deal. Acquiring another depth starter would make them less reliant on 23-year-old right-hander Hayden Birdsong, who zoomed through the upper minors and has experienced some growing pains in his last handful of starts, and Triple-A left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who will represent the Giants at the Futures Game and is likely to make his major league debut at some point in the second half. The Giants also have to be cognizant that right-hander Landen Roupp has pitched 90 innings and is just 17 away from matching his high in a professional season. At present, Whisenhunt is not being considered to shift to left-handed relief, Giants manager Bob Melvin said on Tuesday. Although the Giants are not prioritizing slug at the deadline, they're already exploring avenues to bolster the lineup in the offseason. Posey said he made his first trip to Japan in April to scout Nippon Professional Baseball and meet executives. Kazuma Okamoto, a right-handed hitting outfielder for Yomiuri, is expected to be made available to clubs in the offseason. Okamoto is most notable to an American baseball audience for the home run he hit in the 2023 gold medal game of the World Baseball Classic that provided the margin of victory over Team USA. The most significant potential prize from Japan was expected to be Minetaka Muratani, a stocky, left-handed hitting corner infielder who hit 56 home runs — an NPB record for a Japanese-born player — for the Yakult Swallows in 2022. Muratani will be 26 in February and it was expected he would be made available to major league clubs after the 2025 season, but he underwent elbow surgery and then strained an oblique in his first game upon returning. So his situation is a bit murky at the moment. The Giants have failed to court top talent from Japan in recent years, coming up short in efforts to sign Seiya Suzuki, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto under former president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. Current GM Zack Minasian had been a big part of the Giants' efforts to evaluate Japanese players while serving under Zaidi as the club's pro scouting director. When Posey interviewed Minasian before elevating him to the GM role, he asked whether the Giants should continue to invest in a talent space that had resulted in little more than frustration. Minasian recommended to Posey that the Giants should remain active. If Posey's travel schedule is any indication, they certainly will be.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rafael Devers blew off first base meetings with Giants legend
The San Francisco Giants shocked the world when they traded for Boston Red Sox disgruntled star third baseman Rafael Devers on Father's Day. Devers was asked to move from third base to designated hitter in the offseason, and though he was upset about it, he made the transition. Advertisement Fast forward to May, Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas went down with a ruptured left patellar tendon and the team asked Devers to play first base. Devers refused and was eventually traded to the Giants. After the trade, Devers said he would do anything to help the team according to president of baseball operations Buster Posey. San Francisco decided to bring in legendary six-time All-Star first baseman Will Clark to mentor Devers and discuss playing the position. Well, Devers didn't show up. According to Clark on No Filter Network, Devers didn't show up early for three straight days for these meetings. Advertisement Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp 'Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he did not come out early, at all. Period, not all. In fact, he didn't even hit on the field,' Clark said. 'Everybody's like, 'Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Will. I'm so sorry.'' These meetings were supposed to take place when Boston visited San Francisco, so Clark says he understands why he didn't want to arrive early. However, Clark had some choice words for Devers if he no-shows on him again. 'But Rafael Devers, the next time I'm in San Francisco, your ass will be on the field at first base, just letting you know that,' said Clark. 'Even if I gotta go grab you by the back of the neck and drag your ass out there, you will be at first base.' Advertisement Devers has continued to DH even when third baseman Matt Chapman was hurt. He has since returned, so it will be interesting to see where Devers ends up playing by the end of the year. More MLB: Brewers-Braves blockbuster trade proposal sends 2023 NL MVP to Milwaukee
