More than two months later, the Rafael Devers trade is having a real impact on both the Giants and Red Sox — just in opposite manners.
At 36-24 since the trade (and entering play on Tuesday), Boston has the third-best record in baseball behind only the Brewers and Blue Jays. The constant discourse about tension in the clubhouse has disappeared, one of the pieces acquired for Devers was flipped at the deadline for pitching help (James Tibbs for Dustin May), and the organization has reallocated some of its financial savings by extending Roman Anthony (eight years, $130 million with escalators that could raise that value further).
Boston is now second in the AL East and leading the Wild Card race.
At 22-37 in the same span, San Francisco has the worst record in the sport. Granted, that isn’t solely Devers’s fault — he’s batting .226/.336/.410 in 256 PA over 59 games since the trade, which actually translates to a 116 OPS+ (i.e., 16% better than league average). The Giants lost Matt Chapman to the IL, traded off some players at the deadline, and have generally seen most of their offensive anchors put together disappointing seasons (Heliot Ramos is hitting just .226/.298/.315 in 262 PA since June 15).
San Francisco is now fourth in the NL West and will need to climb past three other teams to get into the final Wild Card spot.
WBC rosters
Several announcements were made over the last week surrounding the coaching staffs for next spring’s World Baseball Classic.
Nicaragua had perhaps the biggest announcement of the group, naming Dusty Baker as the team’s new manager. Baker spent 26 years managing in the Major Leagues, winning a trio of Manager of the Year Awards and a World Series trophy (with the 2022 Astros).
Venezuela will have 12-year veteran Johan Santana serve as its pitching coach for the tournament.
Puerto Rico has also added Edgar Martinez and Juan Gonzalez to their staff.
Netflix lands WBC broadcast rights … in Japan
Netflix has reportedly paid for the exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for the WBC games. The games will not be available on Japanese television as it has in years past.
It would appear to be an odd decision considering the passionate following Team Samurai Japan has in their home country, not to mention their history at the WBC (winning the gold medal in three of the five tournaments, including the last one in 2023). Netflix reportedly has only 10 million subscribers in Japan, suggesting viewership numbers will be dramatically lower this spring.
Elsewhere, around the sport …
Schedules for the 2026 season were released on Tuesday. The season opens with the Giants hosting the Yankees on March 25. The other 28 teams will begin play on March 26. The opener will surely be part of the league’s ongoing media negotiations, so we don’t actually know which network will broadcast it yet.
Texas is already struggling to get above .500 and into the Wild Card race, but the Rangers have now lost both RHP Nathan Eovaldi (rotator cuff strain) and 2B Marcus Semien (fractured foot) for the rest of the season to injuries.
Jonah Tong is leading all minor league pitchers in strikeouts (179) and ERA (1.43) this season. The 22-year-old right-hander has rocketed up the Mets’ prospect lists and is set to make his MLB debut on Friday against the Marlins.