The San Francisco Giants shocked the MLB world last week by trading for Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers.
Devers’ discontent with the Red Sox had been well-documented all season. While shocking to see him get moved, it wasn’t shocking that the Giants, a team in desperate need of help at first base, were the team to make the trade.
Through Devers’ first four games with the Giants, he’d yet to find his swing. He had gone just 3-for-16 with one extra-base hit in those games, including an 0-for-5 performance against the Red Sox on Friday night. However, Devers finally broke out the big wood on Saturday, blasting his first home run as a Giant, against his former team.
WATCH: Rafael Devers’ first home run with Giants
Devers’ home run was an opposite-field shot, giving the Giants a three-run lead. Devers’ home run wound up being the decisive hit. The Red Sox would score two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, pushing the Giants to the brink before ultimately falling 3-2.
Rafael Devers explains why he will play first for Giants
Devers was making headlines before the series, as well. While speaking with media ahead of Friday’s tilt against the Red Sox, Devers told reporters that he felt disrespected by the Red Sox asking him to move to first so close to the start of the regular season.
Devers, through a translator, said that his outstanding numbers in Boston ‘earned (him) some respect.’ He continued, ‘If they would have asked me (to play first) at the beginning of spring training, yes, I would have played.’
Had Rafael Devers ever played first prior to 2025?
Devers had never played first base in the major leagues prior to the 2025 season. Even throughout the minor leagues, Devers never once swapped corners. He did play shortstop and second base in the minors, though, and even had some time at shortstop with the Red Sox. Devers has operated as the Giants’ designated hitter in all five games he’s played with San Francisco, but has been seen taking grounders at first base prior to Giants games.
Since the start of 2025, Giants first basemen have averaged -1.2 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference, the 10th-worst mark in MLB. Devers should play a large role in turning that figure around, but it is unclear how long the Giants will give Devers to acclimate to the new position before throwing him out there for an actual game.