The San Francisco Giants have Rafael Devers now, but they don’t know exactly where to put him.
Sure, the Giants have their own plans on how they’d like to use Devers. That might include some time at his old position at third base while Matt Chapman is hurt, and it almost definitely includes time at a new position–first base–that he very publicly refused to play with the Boston Red Sox.
Devers’ soiled relationship with the Red Sox is in the past, as far as the Giants are concerned. They never promised him anything, and they bought out the right to play him where they want him at a price tag of roughly $255 million over the next eight years.
That’s why one Giants insider is registering a prediction: what Devers refused to do in Boston, he’ll happily accept in San Francisco.
On Monday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic projected that Devers would bat third and start at first base in the Giants’ typical lineup against right-handed pitchers when the entire roster is healthy.
Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey already spoke on the subject during an appearance on KNBR on Monday, indicating that the decision had yet to be made.
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“There’s the possibility to play third some with Chapman out, to get some in at first, and DH,” Posey said.
“By all accounts… He’s a winner. He wants to do what he can to help the team. Obviously there was some back and forth with him and the Red Sox and I don’t have all the details of where things went sideways, but he’s excited to be in San Francisco and help our team win.”
If Posey, the man who traded for Devers, thinks there’s a strong chance he’ll play first base, there’s probably a strong chance he’ll play first base.
But because it’s Devers we’re talking about here, we should at least wait to hear it out of his mouth first.
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