MLB Rumors: Giants Would Love To Unload $600M In Contracts
They have lost seven of their last eight games.
Buster Posey benched Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman simultaneously and called up top prospects Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez from Triple-A Sacramento in an emergency shakeup.
And now Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported the organizational desire to make some stunning moves.
"The Giants would love to unload outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, shortstop Willy Adames, first baseman Rafael Devers, and Matt Chapman and start over," Nightengale wrote.
The combined remaining obligations on those four contracts total $597.5 million.
The Four Contracts and Why Each Is Difficult
Rafael Devers is the centerpiece of the problem and the most stunning development given that he arrived in San Francisco less than a year ago in a blockbuster trade that sent a substantial package to Boston.
The Giants assumed approximately $226.5 million remaining on his deal through 2033, a 10-year contract he signed with the Red Sox before the 2023 season.
Through 25 games he is slashing .230 with two home runs, a strikeout rate that has climbed to 28 percent, and a zone contact rate of 73.9 percent against a league average of roughly 82 percent.
He has also committed defensive miscues at first base, a position he had never played professionally before arriving in San Francisco.
If the Giants are looking to offload Rafael Devers, Craig Breslow has the chance to do the funniest thing ever by getting San Francisco to eat half his salary to return him back to Boston.
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) May 10, 2026
Adames signed a seven-year, $182 million deal last summer, with $161 million remaining.
He became the first Giants player to hit 30-plus home runs since 2004 last season, but he is batting under .200 in 2026 with the third-lowest OPS among qualified shortstops.
Chapman signed a six-year, $151 million extension and has $125 million remaining.
He has graded well defensively at third base but has been benched for unproductive offensive performances and was told directly by Posey that the veterans need to contribute more.
Lee signed a six-year, $113 million deal and has $85 million remaining.
He is the most realistic trade candidate of the group given the smallest remaining obligation and the fact that he is the youngest.
His lack of power makes the contract difficult to move but not impossible given that his defense and contact skills still have value.
What Posey Is Saying Publicly
Posey has not waved the white flag at the organizational level, calling the team "a work in progress" and noting he believes in the track records of his veterans.
"I think he's just a little in between right now," Posey said of Devers specifically. "Maybe a tick late on some heaters, and then a little bit out in front on off-speed. But there's such a track record that you're just waiting each day to be like, 'Ooh, there it is.'"
The organization is tied to $493.5 million in long-term obligations across Devers, Adames, and Chapman alone through 2033.
USA Today’s @BNightengale says the San Francisco Giants would love to offload the following contracts and start over:
— Matthew Crory (@matthewcrory) May 10, 2026
🔺OF Jung Hoo Lee ($85 million remaining)
🔺SS Willy Adames ($161 million remaining)
🔺1B Rafael Devers ($226.5 million remaining)
🔺 3B Matt Chapman ($125… pic.twitter.com/DKBMVGZIgF
That financial reality does not disappear regardless of what Posey says publicly, and Nightengale's report makes clear that the desire to reset is already present inside the building even if the pathway to doing so is essentially impossible to execute at full scale.
Moving one of these contracts would be a significant accomplishment.
Photo Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images
