Why Rafael Devers is Giants $313.5 million mistake and a nightmare version of ambition

One year ago, the San Francisco Giants thought they had finally bought their way out of a long-standing lineup issue.After whiffing over the years on Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the Giants finally landed the kind of superstar bat they had been chasing for years.Rafael Devers arrived from Boston with a $313.5 million contract, a World Series ring, and the expectation that he would become the middle-of-the-order force San Francisco had lacked for years.Twelve months later, the deal looks less like a franchise-altering coup and more like a warning label.To refresh: the Giants acquired Devers from the Red Sox for left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, outfielder James Tibbs III and right-hander Jose Bello.At the time, San Francisco was 41-31 and tied for first place in the National League West.

Devers was supposed to be the final piece.Instead, the Giants lost 10 of their next 14 games, stumbled to a 40-50 finish after his arrival, missed the playoffs.

So far this season they are 29-43.Since Devers’ debut, the Giants are 69-93.That is not all on Devers, but it is impossible to separate the trade from the collapse.Devers has played 162 games as a Giant, hitting .235 with a .762 OPS.His strikeout rate has ballooned, his walk rate has cratered, and his production has not come close to matching the weight of the contract San Francisco absorbed.

The Giants did not trade for a good hitter.They traded for a lineup-changing star.

So far, they have gotten something much closer to expensive adequacy.The ripple effects have been just as damaging.Devers’ presence clogged the first base/designated hitter picture, complicating Bryce Eldridge’s path to regular major-league at-bats.It also helped convince the front office it did not need another major bat last offseason.

That bet has aged poorly.The Giants now have an expensive roster, a muddled offensive identity and no easy path to a quick reset.One year later, this is th...