SAN FRANCISCO — The signing of Willy Adames was a win-now move. The acquisition of Rafael Devers was a win-now move. This team, from Logan Webb to Matt Chapman to Robbie Ray, is filled with win-now players, and this team has talked ad infinitum about their collective goal of winning now.
Every sign in recent weeks pointed to the Giants being buyers at the trade deadline. Addition, not subtraction, was the expectation. On Wednesday afternoon, the Giants sold — and could keep selling.
In the midst of a 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Giants traded Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets, a team that just swept them this past weekend. Rogers, San Francisco’s longtime setup man who pitches more than any other reliever, now wears a different shade of orange.
The return package was right-handers José Buttó and Blade Tidwell, as well as outfielder Drew Gilbert. Buttó will likely slide into the bullpen, while Gilbert and Tidwell could become viable players at the major-league level. But similar to Adames and Devers and Webb and Chapman and Ray, Tyler Rogers is a win-now player with a track record of success.
A win-now player who’s now wearing another uniform.
“We’ve lost six in a row, and we haven’t given Buster (Posey) and the front office any reason to add,” Chapman said. “We kind of did it to ourselves. It sucks. Obviously, you can tell that everybody’s pretty upset. It’s not how I saw this thing going.”
Virtually no one could have foreseen this team trading one of its best relievers when they acquired Devers on Father’s Day six weeks ago. The Giants had cooled since their hot April but still owned a 41-31 record going into Devers’ first game in San Francisco. The offense lacked thump, but Devers’ bat added legitimacy.
Since his arrival, however, the Giants’ 13-24 record has been the worst mark in baseball. The offense’s 134 runs during this stretch are the fewest in baseball, too. They’ve lost six in a row, and 12 of their last 14 games. With the Padres sweeping the Mets, they’re currently six games back of the final NL Wild Card spot.
“We have a great group of guys. … We just haven’t put it together,” said Webb, found out about the trade after his outing. “It’s not like we’re trying to go out there and look like [expletive]. It’s a hard game. I know that’s not going to be a popular answer, but it’s just not good right now.
“We all know that. You feel it. You can see it in the clubhouse. You guys are all in here right now. It’s not fun to be in here, but the only thing you can do is show up on Friday and try to beat the Mets.”
That Mets team will now feature Rogers, who joins a bullpen that also acquired former Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. The submariner ends his tenure in San Francisco with a 2.79 ERA over 392 games with 142 holds and 19 saves. Since 2020, Rogers leads all relievers with 375 appearances. Given his durability, there’s a strong chance he faces his former team this weekend.
“He’s saved me a lot of times. He’s saved the Giants a lot of times,” Webb said. He’s been one of the best relievers in baseball for seven seasons now. The Mets got a good one.”
Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, who made one of the best defensive plays of the year in the eighth inning, maintained the most optimistic tone of any Giant who spoke postgame.
Yastrzemski pointed out that there are roughly two months of baseball remaining. He reminded reporters that “crazier things have happened.” He noted that Rogers was a big piece but countered by saying “it’s not like the whole team has been dismantled yet.”
“I don’t think there’s a guy in this room that’s quit on the season, and I don’t think they’re going to,” Yastrzemski said. “Regardless of what happens, I think the effort and care level is going to be there even if the results are not. I don’t think we’ve stopped believing. We’ve had a really rough start to the second half, but I still believe in this team.”
Added manager Bob Melvin, who learned of the news early in the game: “We still have a really good roster, so our expectation shouldn’t change.”
While Yastrzemski took a glass-half-full approach when speaking with reporters, it’s very possible that Rogers was the first of several Giants who will be wearing new uniforms.
The list of the Giants’ impending free agents is headlined by Justin Verlander, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal this offseason. Verlander has made virtually no progress in his pursuit of 300 career wins in San Francisco, earning just one victory over 18 starts due in part to a lack of run support and bullpen blowups.
There’s also one-time All-Star Camilo Doval, who likely has no shortage of interest given he has two-and-a-half years of club control remaining. Along with Verlander, Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith are impending free agents.
“I don’t know what to expect,” Chapman said of the upcoming deadline. “But when you trade one of your best arms in the bullpen, it kind of shows where we’re headed.”
The Giants netted a fine return given that Rogers is set to become a free agent this offseason.
Buttó, 27, figures to immediately join the Giants’ bullpen. The right-hander has pitched in parts of four seasons with the Mets and has a 3.64 ERA over 47 innings this season.
With Rogers gone, All-Star Randy Rodríguez will likely take over as the primary setup man. It’s possible that Ryan Walker, who was in the clubhouse with Rogers when they both learned the news, pitches in more leverage situations. The Giants should receive a boost in several weeks when left-hander Erik Miller returns from his left elbow injury as well. As far as Doval, he stands to remain the closer barring a trade.
“We just back it up a little bit. … We have some depth there,” Melvin said.
Along with Buttó, Tidwell and Gilbert were New York’s No. 10 and No. 12 prospects, per MLB Pipeline.
Tidwell, 24, made his major-league debut for the Mets and has appeared in four games (two starts), allowing 15 runs over 15 innings. Gilbert, 24, has spent most of this season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a .246/.349/.435 slash line with 12 homers over 81 games. He plays all three outfield positions but has spent the most time in center field.
To make room for Buttó and Tidwell on the 40-man roster, right-hander Sean Hjelle was designated for assignment.
A team source told this news organization that the Giants believe Tidwell can be a legitimate rotation piece. The team also likes Gilbert’s complete package as a player, particularly on the defensive end.
Gilbert and Tidwell could very well help the team in due time. Rogers, though, was helping the team now. And the next day will determine whether Rogers is the first of many to depart.
“It’s part of the game now,” Melvin said. “We’re in a tough spot. It felt like this move needed to be made.
Originally Published: July 30, 2025 at 1:12 PM PDT