Game Wrap 6/15/2025: Dodgers 5 Giants 4

The Giants and Dodgers played a game today and nobody cares.  The game is almost certainly not what you checked in to read about.  So a few minutes after game time I opened Gameday and was shocked to see that Sean Hjelle was pitching.  I texted my friend questioning why Kyle Harrison LHP was a late scratch.  He replied "big trade".  I thought he was joking for a second but then it sunk in.  Wow!  What a block....ahem....Buster!  OK, we'll get to the trade but let's get the Game Wrap out of the way first.  

A bullpen game wasn't quite enough to hold back the Dodgers enough to take the weekend series.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 5, 3B, 2 RBI.  BA= .265.  Lee's 5'th triple of the season drove in two runs to cap a 3-run rally in the 4'th inning.  

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 2 for 3, BB, R.  BA= .248.  YtY stared the Giants 4'th inning rally with a 2-out single.  

Christian Koss 2B/3B- 1 for 4, R, RBI.  BA= .217.  Christian Koss followed Logan Porter's walk with an RBI single to drive in YtY with the Giants first run.  He then scored on Lee's triple.

Daniel Johnson PH- 1 for 1, HR(1), R, RBI.  BA= .235. Johnson's PH HR in the 8'th closed the gap to 5-4.  Alas, it was too little, too late.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 4.70.  Not a terrible start considering the late notice(Harrison had already gone down to the bullpen to warm up) and the craziness of the trade.  He got touched for a run in each of the first two innings then settled down to get through 3.2 IP and leave with the lead.

Joey Lucchesi LHP- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 27.00.  Lucchesi was a late add to the roster, got roughed up and took the loss.

So, the Giants lose the series but it's way better than a sweep and the win Friday night sure still feels good.    I am sure by the end of the season nobody will remember this game....at least for the game.  

So....how about that trade? 

Literally minutes before game time, the Buster Posey swung a blockBuster trade with the Red Sox for disgruntled slugger Rafael Devers 3B/DH.  In return the Giants give up Kyle Harrison LHP who was scratched from the game he was supposed to start, Jordan Hicks RHP, James Tibbs III OF and Jose Bello RHP.  Tibbs and Bello are minor leaguers but Tibbs was last year's first round draft pick so he's not a trivial part of the trade package.  

There is a lot to unpack here.  Rafael Devers is an elite hitter in MLB.  Until this season he looked like the player the Red Sox would build their future around after they signed him to a 10-year/$315 M contract before the 2024 season.  Then they went out and signed Alex Bregman to a free agent contract this offseason and asked Devers to move to first base.  Devers felt like he was the top dawg on the team and had not done anything to lose his primary position and refused to play first base stating he did not feel comfortable there.  Devers became the full time DH but was clearly still not happy and the Red Sox were not happy with him.  Buster Posey sensed an opportunity and did not wait around.  At worst, Devers will be what I have said all along is the Giants biggest need:  A lefty hitting power bat who could play DH, 1B or RF.  So I am fine if at least for the rest of this season Devers is the DH.  Here is the profile on Devers: 

Rafael Devers 3B/DH.  DOB:  10/24/1996.  B-L, T-R.  6' 0", 235 lbs.  

2025:  .271/.400/.494, 14 HR, 16.7 BB%, 23.0 K%, 330 PA. 

Which is pretty close to being on pace for his career average season.

I think we are all pretty familiar with what the Giants gave up:

Kyle Harrison LHP.  DOB:  8/12/2001.  6' 2", 209 lbs.  

2025:  1-1, 4.56, 23.2 IP, 9.51 K/9, 3.42 BB/9.  Promising young pitcher.  Third round draft pick out of HS in 2020 but got late first round money in his bonus.  Stuff can be electric but with inconsistent command.  Unorthodox low-slot delivery.

Jordan Hicks RHP.  DOB:  9/6/1996.  6' 2", 217 lbs.  

2025:  1-5, 6.47, 7.95 K/9, 3.70 BB/9.  Signed to be starter for a modest 4 yr/$44 M contract.  Although he pitched well in a few starts, he seemed to wear down quickly and not have the stamina for the role.  His reliance on a high-velocity sinker probably results in too much contact for today's game.  The Giants are able to offload the remainder of his contract which is about $30 M and what role he's going to fill is someone else's problem.

James Tibbs III OF.  DOB:  10/1/2002.  B-L, T-R.  6' 0", 201 lbs.  

2025(A+):  .245/.377/.480, 12 HR, 16.3 BB%, 17.9 K%, 252 PA.  

Tremendous plate discipline with power but with borderline BA.  I always worry guys with that profile in the lower minors won't maintain an adequate BA at higher levels.  If you ask me to pick one name as comp I would say Michael Conforto whose career is worthy of a first round draft pick but if that's his ceiling, it's probalby a risk worth taking for an established hitter like Devers. 

Jose Bello RHP.  DOB:  5/29/2005.  6' 1", 164 lbs.  

2025(ACL):  1-0, 2.00, 18 IP, 14 K/9, 1.50 BB/9.  

Fangraphs scouting report:  "Advanced righty who commands a backend starter's mix.  He's very young but isn't an overtly projectable, high-upside prospect.  Instead he's more of a high-floored, backend starter type."  In other words, he's probably not going to turn into Luis Castillo down the road.

So who wins this trade?  Only time will tell but I agree with the McCovey Chronicles Bluesky feed:  "My sadness and concerns notwithstanding, the team in the Giants position wins this trade going away 9 times out of 10."  And that's even if Devers never takes the field on defense again.  Look, young pitchers are young pitchers.  Prospects are prospects.  Most of even the most promising ones end up with less than average MLB careers.  Devers is an established elite hitter who gives the Giants lineup exactly what it desperately needs, a legitimate lefthanded-hitting cleanup hitter whether it's at DH or if they find a position he can and will play.  A great bold trade for Buster Posey and I love that he didn't wait around for the trade deadline to make his move.