The San Francisco Giants made one of the boldest moves last year when they traded a group of prospects to the Boston Red Sox for Rafael Devers.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey had a simple goal in making the deal — he was trying to improve the team’s lineup. Led by shortstop Willy Adames, third baseman Matt Chapman and outfielder Heliot Ramos, San Francisco had a significant power shortage at a key position — first base.
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Devers infamously declined to become a first baseman for the Red Sox after he lost his job as a third baseman and was moved to designated hitter. With San Francisco, however, he was agreeable to learning the position while giving the Giants the offense they needed.
In a small sample, Devers proved that he can transform San Francisco’s lineup — even at Oracle Park, which is notoriously unfriendly to hitters.
Rafael Devers at Oracle Park