Rafael Devers is officially back in Boston, stepping onto the Fenway Park field again, but this time in a San Francisco Giants uniform. This marks his second time facing the Red Sox since the big 2025 trade, and the first time he’s returning to his old stomping grounds. It’s been a minute since that trade, a move that saw the Giants pick up a slugging first baseman, while the Red Sox, well, they got “a lot of freedom,” apparently. Talk about a difference maker, though, because the numbers since that deal are absolutely wild.
The Trade Aftermath: A Brutal Reality Check for the Giants
You wanna see what “a lot of freedom” means in cold, hard numbers? Since the Devers trade, the Red Sox have racked up a 120-96 record. Yeah, you read that right. And the Giants? The team that got Devers? They’ve limped to a 92-125 mark. That’s a massive swing, a 28-game difference between the two teams. Devers himself is hitting .244/.317/.471 with 25 bombs for San Francisco this year. For comparison, his slash line over nine seasons with the Red Sox was a much beefier .279/.349/.510. It really makes you scratch your head about that “freedom,” doesn’t it? Meanwhile, Willy Adames has clubbed 19 homers, staying put despite deadline whispers, but Matt Chapman is still stuck on the IL.
Pitching Pains and Glimmers of Hope for San Francisco
The Giants’ pitching staff has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. Logan Webb, the Friday starter, has had some rough outings this year, giving up 7 runs to the Yankees, 6 to the Padres, 7 to the Rockies, and 5 to the Blue Jays. But hold up, because August has been different. Webb has been locked in, allowing only two runs over his last three starts, covering 20 innings. That includes a 6.0 shutout inning performance and two 8.0 inning, one-run gems. His strikeouts are down, from 26.2% last year to 19.6% in 2026, but he’s still punched out 17 in his last 20 innings.
Then there’s Blade Tidwell, who came over in the 2025 deadline deal for reliever Tyler Rogers. He’s made 13 starts, with 20 strikeouts and 10 walks in 27 innings, but his last outing against the Rockies saw him give up 6 runs in just 4.1 innings. Carson Whisenhunt followed Tidwell last time out and coughed up 7 runs, 6 earned, in 4.0 innings. Jake Bennett has also looked off his game recently, piling up innings in what’s been a great rookie year, but facing uncharted territory. On the other side of the mound, Patrick Sandoval is coming off a brutal 7-run, 4.0-inning outing against the Pirates. At least the bullpen got a much-needed off-day on Thursday. For Friday, the Giants send Webb out to face Sonny Gray, the 15-game winner who has also been on a roll, allowing just two runs over his last 19 innings.
This weekend, two games are even hitting national TV, so everyone’s gonna be watching. The Giants don’t even have a Sunday starter listed yet. You gotta wonder if they can turn things around with Devers back in the spotlight, but that record since the trade? That’s the real story hanging over this series.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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