The San Francisco Giants are about to start having uncomfortable conversations. The team is 16-24 after a brutal stretch that has put them firmly in last place in the National League West, and the front office is reportedly exploring trades for several of their biggest contracts. Buster Posey, in his role as president of baseball operations, is staring at the kind of decisions that will define his tenure.
The names on the potential trade block are massive. Rafael Devers, signed to a long-term deal worth $226 million, is on the list. Willy Adames at $161 million is being shopped. Matt Chapman, with $125 million remaining on his contract, is potentially available. Jung Hoo Lee at $85 million rounds out the group of high-priced players the Giants are reportedly willing to discuss.
That is a fire sale by any reasonable definition. Moving any one of those four players would represent a major strategic pivot. Moving all four would be a wholesale rebuild.
The reasoning is straightforward. The Giants have been spending heavily for several years and consistently producing teams that are middling at best. The 2024 season ended without a playoff appearance. The 2025 season ended worse. The 2026 season has been the most disappointing yet, with the team unable to crack .500 against a National League West that has the Dodgers and Padres dominating and the Diamondbacks lurking.
The contracts that were supposed to push the Giants into contention have instead turned into anchors. Devers has been productive but not at the level of a $226 million player. Adames has been a downgrade from what San Francisco expected. Chapman has been good defensively and inconsistent offensively. Lee has dealt with injuries that have limited his impact.
For Posey, the question is whether to commit to the rebuild now or try to thread the needle for another year. The contracts are immovable in any scenario without the Giants eating significant money. The prospect return on aging veterans with $100 million plus left on their deals is going to be limited compared to younger players on team-friendly contracts.
The clearest sell candidate is Chapman. He is the oldest of the group at 33, has the smallest contract, and has playoff experience that contenders will pay for. A Chapman trade to a team like the Phillies or the Yankees should bring back a meaningful prospect package. The Giants would have to eat some money but the math could work.
Devers is the most complicated case. He is 29, in his prime, and produces at the plate. The Boston Red Sox, who traded him to the Giants in 2024, would face awkward questions about reacquiring him. Other contenders would balk at the contract length. A Devers trade is possible but the market is thin.
Adames and Lee are somewhere in the middle. Both would attract interest at the right price. Neither one is going to bring back a top-tier prospect package given the contract structure. The Giants would be making the trades primarily to clear cap space and accept lesser returns.
For the Giants fanbase, the fire sale is going to be brutal to watch. San Francisco has a deep tradition of winning. The franchise has three World Series titles from the previous decade. The fans have not been used to seeing the team operate as a seller at the deadline.
The path forward is going to be ugly. The Giants are looking at multiple years of rebuilding. The farm system needs replenishing. The major league roster needs young talent. The contracts on the books make any kind of quick turnaround difficult.
Buster Posey is about to find out what running a baseball operations department actually feels like. The next two months will define how the rest of his tenure is remembered.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
