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
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
