MLB Roundtable: Can the Giants count on Devers? How will the Red Sox rebound?

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Thosar: Soto has definitely started to look more like himself at the plate lately. He’s staring down pitchers in the box. He’s showing familiar signs of his patented shuffle. He’s having fun in the dugout, flipping water bottles and laughing hysterically with teammates. So he’s definitely starting to loosen up from the edgier version of Soto we saw to begin the year. That being said, after seeing the ups and downs that Francisco Lindor and Edwin Diaz went through in their first seasons in Queens, I continue to believe Soto will be adjusting to his new organization throughout the rest of the season. Maybe that adjustment period won’t necessarily show up in the box score the way it did to begin the season, but it might take at least the first year of his 15-year Mets pact to get acclimated. That doesn’t mean we should be concerned, but it might take a little bit longer for Soto to really look dominant, like a generational slugger, again. That’s human nature.

Juan Soto stands on first base after hitting his 1000th career hit in the first inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) <!–>

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2. Rafael Devers is now on the record as saying he’d play where his new team the Giants need him to, and is already set to start working out at first base. What’s your take on this immediate shift after leaving the Red Sox, where he refused such a move?

Kavner: First reaction: Sorry again, Red Sox fans. Second reaction: Not that surprised. The Giants, after all, weren’t the ones who failed to communicate effectively with Devers, moved him off his position and created an unnecessary yet irreparable chasm with their best hitter. Now, it’s possible that Devers would have always felt too slighted by the Red Sox moving him to DH that he never would have been open to playing first base in Boston regardless, even had the Red Sox brass handled this better from the jump. But logically, the move to first always made sense. Boston’s bungling of this fiasco is San Francisco’s gain. Even if he’s just an average first baseman, it will be a huge advantage if he can get some reps in the field rather than solely clog up the DH role for the next nine years. It’ll make that contract look a whole more worth it.

Thosar: Reading the tea leaves, it seems like Devers felt disrespected by the Red Sox because they weren’t being up front with him — in terms of switching positions, clubhouse leadership, media obligations, and other off-field responsibilities that they felt were a part of signing a $300 million-plus contract. It’s fair to question whether Devers’ attitude on playing multiple positions in Boston would’ve been better had the team told him what to expect. Why tell him to put away his glove, only to turn around and ask him to play first? After playing third base his entire professional career, Devers was understandably upset at shifting positions. But, rather than working on ways to smooth things over, the Red Sox mishandled his feelings to the point where the internal drama spilled into the public purview multiple times since spring. I’m guessing Devers is open to playing wherever the Giants want him to because that’s what they told him to expect in order to win. Respect is a two-way street.

Will Rafael Devers stay true to his word with the Giants? (Photo by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) <!–>

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3. What do you believe the Red Sox, who sit just out of a wild card spot entering Wednesday’s action, should do with the millions they’ve cleared from the books after dealing Devers?

Kavner: Find a way to keep Alex Bregman in Boston long-term. Can you imagine the turmoil if he opts out and signs elsewhere next year? That’s part of what made the timing of the Devers trade so peculiar. At this rate, assuming Bregman returns from injury and plays at a similar level to what he was doing prior, why wouldn’t he at least test the market? If (or when) he does, the Red Sox will be lambasted if they don’t pay what it takes to keep him. If that doesn’t work out, paying Pete Alonso (who is also likely to opt out) to fill the first-base role Devers wouldn’t or fixing the rotation with Dylan Cease or Framber Valdez could also be benefical plays.

Thosar: Ironically, the Red Sox need a big bat to offset the loss of Devers. It would help if that player could also man first base, where Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez have filled in admirably since Triston Casas’ injury, but it’s hard to imagine that’s where the Sox want them to play long-term. Trading for someone like Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor could work. He’s owed just under $11 million this year while posting an OPS+ of 129, and he’s set to become a free agent after this season. The more exciting potential trade option in Arizona is third baseman Eugenio Suarez, but the Red Sox could run into another problem there after Alex Bregman returns from his quad injury. Still, adding Suarez would make Boston a stronger team this year, and Bregman has an opt-out after this season so third base could be a gaping hole again in the winter. The point is, the American League is wide open and the Red Sox have saved roughly $250 million from the Devers contract that they should put to good use by looking at the top-end of the market.

4. It’s been buried a little in the Braves’ continued scuffles, but Ronald Acuña has been a revelation since returning from his second ACL surgery… except for on the basepaths. Are Acuña’s days as a high-profile base thief over, or is it too soon to tell?

Kavner: I think we’re going to look back at his 73-steal season in 2023 as an anomaly, but it’s probably too soon to definitively say that what you’re seeing now is how it will always be. His overall sprint speed this year actually isn’t too far off from where it was the last couple years, so while I think he’s going to remain much more selective about when he’s taking off than he did two years ago,  I could still see another 30+ steal season in his future as he gets further away from the knee injury, even if it’s not 40 (or 50 or 60 or 70).

Thosar: It’s definitely too soon to declare that his elite base-stealing days are behind him, especially since Acuña might be holding back from running at full speed so as to avoid another injury. That being said, there have definitely been plays where I’m thinking the Acuña of old would’ve reached a given fly ball for a diving catch, or he would’ve easily swiped that bag a couple of years ago. It would be sad for baseball if his ACL surgeries completely took away his ceiling as a 40-70 hitter. So the hope is that, while it might take him some time to feel comfortable running at his max speed again, he’s still just 27 years old, so he has plenty of career left to test his personal limits and find a speed that’s dangerous and effective.

5. Shohei Ohtani got all the attention this week, but Giancarlo Stanton is back from his own elbow injury. What do you expect from him in 2025, now 35 years old but seemingly feeling healthy?

Kavner: Similar to what we’ve seen in recent years — a guy whose swing-and-miss will limit his ceiling but whose ability to barrel a baseball will keep him an above-average hitter and a threat on the biggest stage. The big difference now is that Ben Rice had emerged as one of the best non-Judge hitters on the team until slowing down in recent weeks, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Yankees find at-bats for both of them (we’ve seen Rice at first base and catcher over the last few days) or what happens if Stanton goes into a lengthy rut. I think Stanton is still capable of a 15-20 homer season this year, even with the late start. The most important thing, though, is that the Yankees keep him as healthy as possible going into October. Stanton led all players in home runs last postseason and had an OPS over 1.000. He always seems to find another gear that time of year, and the Yankees — despite their recent skid — could be primed for another deep run.

Thosar: Even though Stanton is back from injury (tennis elbow in both arms), he has said that it’s very painful and likely something he’ll have to manage for the rest of his career. So the Yankees will ease him back into at-bats, which should be a designated-hitter only since the club has more than enough outfielders on the roster. But even then, manager Aaron Boone will certainly give Stanton plenty of days off, like he did on Wednesday against the Angels, because the Yankees need to make sure the slugger is healthy when they most need him: in the playoffs. Stanton absolutely dominates October baseball, boasting a .994 OPS and 18 home runs in 42 career playoff games. Last year, Stanton crushed seven home runs and posted a 1.048 OPS in 14 postseason games, and he was named the ALCS MVP to boot. So it’s great to get Stanton some reps at the plate here. But, if I’m the Yankees, I’m using Stanton sparingly until October.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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