Bleav in SF Giants

INTRO / WHO I AM

I’m your new host, Michael Monreal

 Lifelong Giants fan—2010s dynasty teams were a huge part of my childhood and what made me fall in love with baseball

I’m currently a contributing writer for JustBaseball.com and Around the Foghorn—go check out my articles over there

This is my first time doing podcasting, so I’m still figuring it all out—but if you have any tips, episode ideas, or things you want me to talk about, drop them in the comments

If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow on Spotify, Apple Music, or even YouTube

You can follow me personally on X @mmonreal0423 or Instagram @michaelmonreal23—though I’m way more active on X when it comes to talking Giants

EPISODE PREVIEW

In this episode, we’re obviously talking about the blockbuster trade that just shook the league—Rafael Devers is now a San Francisco Giant

We’ll also touch on the Dodgers series, but let’s be honest—once the trade went down, that kind of became an afterthought

RAFAEL DEVERS TRADE REACTION

Giants pull off one of the biggest moves we’ve seen in years

They’re getting one of the best left-handed bats in the game

Career .279 hitter, consistently around 30 home runs per year

This move makes the Giants contenders right now

You can already feel the Posey effect—he’s going for it in year one as President of Baseball Ops

It’s a “where were you when it happened” moment for Giants fans

This is the kind of trade that changes the whole trajectory of a season/future

Red Sox once again trade the face of their franchise—first it was Mookie, now Devers

He’ll now be remembered as a Giant the way Mookie is a Dodger and Harper is a Phillie

Position fit

Can’t move Chapman off third—his defense is too valuable

 Most likely scenario is Devers splitting time between first base and DH

 That bat’s gotta be in the lineup every day, but it’ll be interesting to see how the Giants balance it

The Contract

Giants are taking on the full deal—massive commitment

 That’s probably the only real downside to this deal

You’re likely paying DH money toward the back end of the contract—but that’s the cost of adding a premier bat

WHAT WE GAVE UP

Kyle Harrison

Still has a ton of upside, but hasn’t put it all together yet

  Could develop into a top-of-the-rotation guy—or end up as a 4th/5th starter

  I’ve personally been higher on him than Harrison for a while

  Solid lefty with a good changeup—more polished than Harrison in some ways

Jordan Hicks

 Moving his contract is a win in itself—he’s been inconsistent and the money was a bit of an overpay

Tibbs III

Honestly feels like the biggest loss to me

   Could be the one we regret down the line

   With Boston’s short porch, he could end up racking up home runs

   He’s having a solid year in Eugene

Bello

Don’t know a ton about him

   Been pitching well at the complex level, decent strikeout numbers

   Was in the DSL last year—probably a late throw-in to make the trade look better for Boston

  But who knows—maybe they see something we don’t

Overall

Huge win for the Giants

 Everyone they gave up has potential, but they’re still question marks

 Devers is a proven, elite bat

Helps the team immediately and for the future

DODGERS SERIES QUICK RECAP

Giants dropped the series, but honestly who cares—that trade stole all the headlines

Game 1

Webb looked like a Cy Young contender

  Skenes has the spotlight, but Webb keeps proving himself

  Giants chased Yamamoto early

  Casey Schmitt hits a grand slam

  Willy Adames already making noise in the rivalry

Game 2

Roupp gave up the leadoff bomb to Ohtani and struggled—his first real rough outing

  Offense couldn’t do much vs Kershaw—still frustrating to get shut down by a guy pushing 40

  Schmitt again with a grand slam—two in two nights, insane

 Dodgers had to bring in a high-leverage reliever to close the game after Kike

Game 3

 Hjelle finds out he’s starting right before first pitch and delivers a solid outing

  Jung Hoo Lee had his first big rivalry moment—nice to see

  Giants lose 5–4 but show fight after a blowout in Game 2 and the chaos of the Devers news

  Overall solid effort, especially considering the circumstances

Final thought

Next time these teams face off, the Giants will have Rafael Devers in the lineup

Everything just feels different now

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