RAFAEL DEVERS IS A GIANT?! Immediate reactions to the blockbuster deal and quick takeaways from Dodgers series.

INTRO / WHO I AM   I’m your new host, Michael Monreal  Lifelong Giants fan—2010s dynasty teams were a huge part of my childhood and what made me fall in love with baseball I’m currently a contributing writer for JustBaseball.com and Around the Foghorn—go check out my articles over there This is my first time doing podcasting, so I’m still figuring it all out—but if you have any tips, episode ideas, or things you want me to talk about, drop them in the comments If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow on Spotify, Apple Music, or even YouTube You can follow me personally on X @mmonreal0423 or Instagram @michaelmonreal23—though I’m way more active on X when it comes to talking Giants EPISODE PREVIEW In this episode, we’re obviously talking about the blockbuster trade that just shook the league—Rafael Devers is now a San Francisco Giant We’ll also touch on the Dodgers series, but let’s be honest—once the trade went down, that kind of became an afterthought RAFAEL DEVERS TRADE REACTION Giants pull off one of the biggest moves we’ve seen in years They’re getting one of the best left-handed bats in the game Career .279 hitter, consistently around 30 home runs per year This move makes the Giants contenders right now You can already feel the Posey effect—he’s going for it in year one as President of Baseball Ops It’s a “where were you when it happened” moment for Giants fans This is the kind of trade that changes the whole trajectory of a season/future Red Sox once again trade the face of their franchise—first it was Mookie, now Devers He’ll now be remembered as a Giant the way Mookie is a Dodger and Harper is a Phillie Position fit Can’t move Chapman off third—his defense is too valuable  Most likely scenario is Devers splitting time between first base and DH  That bat’s gotta be in the lineup every day, but it’ll be interesting to see how the Giants balance it The Contract Giants are taking on the full deal—massive commitment  That’s probably the only real downside to this deal You’re likely paying DH money toward the back end of the contract—but that’s the cost of adding a premier bat WHAT WE GAVE UP Kyle Harrison Still has a ton of upside, but hasn’t put it all together yet   Could develop into a top-of-the-rotation guy—or end up as a 4th/5th starter   I’ve personally been higher on him than Harrison for a while   Solid lefty with a good changeup—more polished than Harrison in some ways Jordan Hicks  Moving his contract is a win in itself—he’s been inconsistent and the money was a bit of an overpay Tibbs III Honestly feels like the biggest loss to me    Could be the one we regret down the line    With Boston’s short porch, he could end up racking up home runs    He’s having a solid year in Eugene Bello Don’t know a ton about him    Been pitching well at the complex level, decent strikeout numbers    Was in the DSL last year—probably a late throw-in to make the trade look better for Boston   But who knows—maybe they see something we don’t Overall Huge win for the Giants  Everyone they gave up has potential, but they’re still question marks  Devers is a proven, elite bat Helps the team immediately and for the future DODGERS SERIES QUICK RECAP Giants dropped the series, but honestly who cares—that trade stole all the headlines   Game 1 Webb looked like a Cy Young contender   Skenes has the spotlight, but Webb keeps proving himself   Giants chased Yamamoto early   Casey Schmitt hits a grand slam   Willy Adames already making noise in the rivalry Game 2 Roupp gave up the leadoff bomb to Ohtani and struggled—his first real rough outing   Offense couldn’t do much vs Kershaw—still frustrating to get shut down by a guy pushing 40   Schmitt again with a grand slam—two in two nights, insane  Dodgers had to bring in a high-leverage reliever to close the game after Kike   Game 3  Hjelle finds out he’s starting right before first pitch and delivers a solid outing   Jung Hoo Lee had his first big rivalry moment—nice to see   Giants lose 5–4 but show fight after a blowout in Game 2 and the chaos of the Devers news   Overall solid effort, especially considering the circumstances   Final thought Next time these teams face off, the Giants will have Rafael Devers in the lineup Everything just feels different now Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.