When the San Francisco Giants traded for Rafael Devers, everyone praised them for the aggressive move. They say it’s the Giants getting their face of the franchise and someone they can build the franchise around. But through the first 167 games, it has not gone the way the Giants had hoped. In his Giants career, Devers has slashed .237/.326/.447 with 31 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a 120 OPS+. All these stats are down from what he did with the Boston Red Sox.
But things reached a new low this past weekend. In Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins, Devers drew a walk in the Top of the 9th inning. Trying to get more speed on the bases, manager Tony Vitello sent out Jonah Cox to pitch run. This did not sit well with Devers. He started shaking his finger at the dugout and kept trying to send Cox back to the dugout. Eventually, he left first base and started cursing into his helmet as he walked off the field. Once he got to the dugout, he went immediately to the locker room.
This feels like the breaking point for the Giants and Devers. You can not have a player throwing a temper tantrum on the field because they are taking him out of the game. This gives the impression that he cares more about himself than about the team winning games. A horrible quality for a player to have and not the type of person you want to build the franchise around. The best thing for both sides would be to move on. The Giants need to trade Devers at the upcoming trade deadline.
The Giants Need To Move Devers Before Things Get Worse
This is not the first time that Devers has been involved in unnecessary drama. Last season, the Red Sox brought in Alex Bregman to play third base. At first glance, this was not much of a surprise. While Devers was the third baseman, he was not the long-term option there. He was a poor defender, and many felt he should move to first or designated hitter. But he was not happy that Bregman was coming to take his job. He refused to move off third and made many statements to the media about how he only wants to play third. It was the final straw that forced the Red Sox to move him.
So the incident that happened on Sunday is nothing new. In fact, it reveals a concerning and consistent pattern for Devers. It’s becoming very obvious that he is the biggest diva in all of baseball. He cares only about himself and does not want to make adjustments for the team’s betterment. It’s either his way or the highway. The hope that the Giants had that he would change his attitude due to the change of scenery is gone. Devers has an attitude problem, and it’s something he’ll have no matter where he plays.
With how bad the Giants are, a headache like this is the last thing they need. With it looking like the Giants are going to be sellers and enter some sort of re-tool, a player like this is the last thing they need. Having a player with this type of attitude around young players sets a bad example. His attitude could spread in the locker room, making it one of the worst in the league. Plus, there is also the possibility that Devers becomes a bigger diva with the Giants playing meaningless games late in the season.
But trading Devers is a lot easier said than done. His struggles, coupled with the fact that he still owed $28.5 million annually for the next seven seasons. That is not something teams are going to be lining up to bring in. The Giants will have to eat a large portion of the contract and get nothing close to what they gave up to get him. It will be a move many will see as a loss. But getting Devers off the roster is a win in itself. It will allow the Giants to fully start over and not have to worry about what his next distraction will be.
Although this was unimaginable just a year ago, the best thing the Giants can do is to trade Devers. Sure, they will be selling him for pennies on the dollar, but removing his attitude is a win in itself.
