Big issues: How the 2026 season went for Rafael Devers, Buster Posey and San Francisco

The saga of Rafael Devers is said to be over. Said is the key word here.

Devers’ initial refusal to raise a young runner The Giants’ late loss to the Marlins on Sunday was impossible to ignore. Devers stood up to manager Tony Vitello from the start and Jonah Cox, who would replace him, stood awkwardly on the sidelines awaiting further instruction.

After some disagreement, Devers finally agreed, removed his hat and went back to the dugout, although he did not stop trying to pat bench coach Jayce Tingler on the back.

“We sat next to each other on the plane, we had a good conversation,” Vitello told reporters.

“I’m sorry,” Devers said. “It was the right thing to do.”

Devers, who has struggled throughout his life, later said he believed Vitello removed him because of his health, not because the Giants were trying to put together a one-run game in the ninth inning.

And that’s where the truth gets a little muddy. Because it wasn’t the first time Devers was ostracized. While in Boston, he had a similar run in with the Red Sox and then-manager Alex Cora after being lifted late in a game, though the incident was not public.

That’s why Sunday’s episode can’t be dismissed as one episode.

Instead, it reflected both the dysfunction that followed the Giants throughout the season and the kind of behavior that ultimately contributed to Devers’ departure from Boston.

‘A good man…a little child to him’

Devers is an excellent host. Whether he’s traded again before the August 3 deadline this year or not, expect him to eventually return to form. His struggles on the field should not be a question. The makeup behind them, however, is probably worth it.

The Red Sox traded Devers, in part, because of his refusal to play first base after the signing of Alex Bregman. Equally important, the organization believes he has had a negative impact on some of the younger players in the clubhouse.

Yet even after arriving in San Francisco, some of those similarities lingered. There were days when Devers didn’t want to hit second base and, at times, didn’t want to play first base.

“He’s a good man,” said another source. “But at the end of the day, Rafi is going to do what Rafi wants to do. There’s a wildness to him.”

That assessment is consistent with how Devers’ tenure in Boston ultimately unfolded.

Posey’s problems

All of this brings up Buster Posey, the Giants’ president of baseball.

The Giants — who entered the weekend at 33-47, the second-worst record in the National League — didn’t end up getting Devers’ bat. They got every player: his great attacking talent, his sensitivity, the resistance to change that comes with managing a star who can, at times, be stubborn.

“If I say the sky is blue and Rafi knows it is blue, he will still say it is red,” said his teammate to Devers.

The Giants enter 2026 with high internal hopes. Willy Adames and Matt Chapman were expected to hold down the left side of the infield while providing much-needed power to the right side of the lineup. The two were expected to take on leadership roles, allowing Devers to focus on pitching and, more importantly, slugging.

Although his hiring from the University of Tennessee caused some skepticism among baseball insiders, Vitello was expected to bring a fresh perspective. His coaching experience was limited to the college ranks, but Posey was unwavering in his belief that the game was getting smaller and that Vitello’s baseball acumen would resonate with today’s players.

Obviously, most of that idea has fallen. The Giants enter Friday with a 33-47 record, the second-worst mark in the National League. Much of the blame lies with Posey, who, in addition to his on-field mistakes, had a heated press conference earlier this week when he refused to answer questions about the team’s recent Pride Night controversy.

“There’s a crime around that organization,” said one person familiar with the inner workings of the Giants. “And Posey is in your heart.”

When Posey took over from Farhan Zaidi at the end of the 2024 season, the program was focused on returning the Giants to a more traditional baseball style while embracing statistics. Zaidi, who is very data oriented, failed to produce consistent results during his six-year tenure, guiding the club to the postseason just once – a 107-win season in 2021.

Posey, an All-Star and three-time World Series champion who played his entire career with the Giants, arrived as a pillar tasked with restoring the culture of the storied baseball organization. He also filled the scouting department that had been released under his predecessor and renewed the relationship between the Giants greats and the current roster, something that was largely absent during the Zaidi era.

Yet despite the criticism surrounding Zaidi’s tenure, one league source familiar with the situation offered an indirect assessment: “At least Zaidi had a plan. Posey doesn’t.”

Posey’s communication style has drawn scrutiny. As a player, Posey earned widespread respect for leading by example rather than words.

“Other than that, he was an aloof person,” said another.

But as the head of baseball operations, a role he played with no prior front office experience, leading by example isn’t enough. With front offices, coaching staffs and players often disconnected in today’s game, communication has become a major divider.

Why is the system not working

The construction of the Giants’ system, shaped by Posey, has left some inside the game confused. San Francisco’s Oracle Park is one of baseball’s friendliest venues. However, Posey has committed the club to powerful bats.

San Francisco is tied for 10th in homers (86).

“You can’t build a team on homers in that ballpark,” said one player. “It has to be the ability to hit the ball and the speed. Singles turn into doubles in that park. Doubles turn into triples.”

Now, consider that. Then consider the heavy hitters the Giants are getting. Nothing produced the expectations. All of them can be considered as potential candidates for trade before the August 3 deadline.

• Adames is hitting .225 with 14 home runs and a .697 OPS while displaying below-average defense at shortstop, a position he has generally excelled at throughout his career.
• Chapman, 33, is still sharp with the glove, but his power numbers have dipped significantly (.381 slugging percentage with seven homers in 333 plate appearances).
• Devers, on the other hand, has shown flashes of brilliance at the plate this season, but he, too, has performed below his standards, hitting .235 with 12 home runs and a .729 OPS.

So, less than two years into his tenure, Posey will no longer be able to rely on his status alone. The future of the Giants depends not on what Posey accomplishes as a player but on whether his baseball acumen as an executive can get the organization out of its current mess.

This has not been the case so far.