Blockbuster Red Sox Trade Looks Like Latest Whiff For Giants Front Office
Buster Posey has taken some big swings since becoming the San Francisco Giants’ president of baseball operations last fall. So far, most of them have been misses.
Last winter, Posey added Willy Adames and Justin Verlander in free agency, giving Adames the largest contract in Giants history at seven years and $182 million. The star shortstop has struggled in his first season with San Francisco, batting .222/.306/.386 (99 OPS+) with 14 home runs, 50 RBI and 1.0 WAR in 99 games.
Meanwhile, Verlander’s been one of the worst pitchers in baseball this year, going 0-8 with a 4.99 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP and -0.7 WAR in 16 starts. The 42-year-old former ace appears to be over the hill, and signing him to a one-year, $15 million deal hasn’t paid off.
Despite those missteps, the Giants still jumped out to a good start this year. Posey responded by making another huge gamble this summer, sending two pitchers and two prospects to the Boston Red Sox for Rafael Devers on June 15 in an effort to bolster San Francisco’s lineup.
Five weeks in, that move doesn’t seem to be working out, either. Devers has stopped hitting since arriving in the Bay Area, slashing .208/.322/.327 with two homers, 10 RBI, -0.2 WAR and 38 strikeouts in 28 games with his new team.
The three-time All-Star has not given the Giants the boost that Posey was hoping for. San Francisco has scored the fewest runs in baseball (99) since the trade, going 11-17 and losing six of its last seven games.
Despite earning close to $60 million in salary this year, Adames, Devers and Verlander have combined to give the Giants roughly 0.1 WAR. Their underperformance is a big reason why San Francisco is barely above .500 and on pace to miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
There’s still time for the Giants and Posey to turn things around, especially with the MLB Trade Deadline coming up at the end of the month. However, the former MVP’s transition to the front office isn’t off to a good start.