As we get deeper into the offseason, media members, including us at Puckett's Pond, increasingly propose potential trades and free-agent signings. Sometimes they're predictions, but sometimes they're just for fun. Recently, Dan Hayes of The Athletic wildly proposed that the Twins should target San Francisco Giants star designated hitter/first baseman Rafael Devers, while also acknowledging that the cost would likely be too much for the Twins to make a deal happen.
"The checkbook has been thrown out the window, okay, we're in lala land... I want Rafael Devers. I want a consistent run producer for this lineup," Hayes said on the "Twin Cities Territory" podcast. "Rafael Devers is unfortunately owed seven years and $211 million from San Francisco. He turns 30 in about nine days... So that contract runs until he's 34, 35 and 36 years old in those last three years, which is not ideal. Not ideal that you'd be giving him $29.5 million in those last three years. But he is the run producer that is potentially the kind of guy you put in the middle of the lineup; pencil him in. You see, like a Pete Alonso type, what he got and what he did for Baltimore this year. The RBI has been devalued by analytics, but it's still a skill, and Devers is good at it."
As Hayes implied, the Twins are very unlikely to acquire Devers. Regardless, it's fun to speculate, and if Tom Pohlad surprisingly gave the Twins' front office the go-ahead to pursue a Devers trade, general manager Jeremy Zoll should certainly consider it.
Devers posted 3.4 fWAR and a .258/.340/.525 (136 wRC+) slash line with 37 home runs and 98 RBI over 148 games this past season. Devers became the second Giants player to hit 30 home runs in a season since Barry Bonds in 2004.
As Hayes noted, Devers will be approaching his late 30s toward the end of his contract, making it difficult to imagine that Minnesota would consider acquiring him. It's honestly hard to believe that he isn't 30 yet, as he already has 10 seasons of big-league experience.
Looking at Rafael Devers' career
Devers made his MLB debut at age 20 with the Boston Red Sox in 2017. The Red Sox signed him to a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension ahead of the 2023 season. The Red Sox traded him to the Giants during the 2025 season after Devers publicly displayed frustration with the Red Sox organization for asking him to move positions several times.
Throughout his career, Devers has posted 32.7 fWAR and a .274/.348/.508 (128 wRC+) slash line with 272 home runs and 845 RBI. He is a three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and a 2018 World Series champion.
The Twins would probably only acquire Devers if the Giants are willing to eat a significant portion of his contract, which is unlikely. Devers doesn't have a no-trade clause, meaning he couldn't veto a trade to the Twins if San Francisco and Minnesota were to agree to a deal.
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