Padres’ perfect trade offer for Giants’ Rafael Devers

The San Francisco Giants are bleeding runs and burning through losses at an alarming rate. Sitting at a dismal 29-43 and 16.5 games out in the NL West, the Giants are staring down what could be one of the most uncomfortable trade deadline conversations in franchise history, what to do with Rafael Devers and the $199.5 million still owed to him through 2033.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres are a team that refuses to stop swinging. GM A.J. Preller’s track record of aggressive deadline maneuvering is well documented, and with the 2026 trade deadline pushed back to August 3, he has more runway than ever to pull off a blockbuster. If Preller is willing to absorb salary, and several teams believe he is open to it this summer, the Giants’ headache could become the Padres’ upgrade.

Devers’ Struggles Open the Door

Rafael Devers arrived in San Francisco last June with enormous expectations and a generational contract. What has followed has been deeply disappointing. Through the first half of 2026, Devers is slashing just .235 with a .706 OPS, nine home runs, and a 98 wRC+, which, for a $31-million-per-year player, is essentially replacement-level production. His strikeout rate has climbed toward 30%, and he has posted -0.9 WAR on the season.

The frustration inside the Giants’ organization is reportedly real. The Giants would love to offload Devers and the remaining contract, floating him as a legitimate trade possibility if San Francisco continues down this path. The Giants don’t need to give Devers away, but they need a motivated suitor willing to take a bet on a bounce-back season from a three-time All-Star with a career average of 33 home runs per year.

The Padres Have What San Francisco Needs

San Diego’s farm system is thin by most measures, but two names have genuinely turned heads in 2026, and both fit the bill as compelling trade chips for a seller willing to deal.

Ryan Wideman, 22, was selected in the third round of the 2025 Draft out of Western Kentucky and has emerged as one of the most exciting prospects in the Padres’ system. After a modest professional debut, Wideman has erupted in 2026, slashing .327/.394/.527 with six home runs and a jaw-dropping 42 stolen bases in just 60 games at Single-A Lake Elsinore. In June alone, he is slashing .390/.479/.659 across 10 games. He was ranked as high as the No. 4 prospect in San Diego’s system before the season even got going.

Garrett Hawkins, a right-handed reliever, quietly put together a 1.69 ERA and 20 strikeouts across 16 innings at Double-A San Antonio to close out 2025. He opened 2026 at Triple-A El Paso and is considered a candidate to make his major league debut if the Padres need bullpen reinforcement. For a Giants club in sell mode, a near-MLB-ready arm checks an important box.

The Perfect Trade Offer

Here is what a clean, fair deal could look like between these two clubs:

San Diego Padres receive:

• 1B/DH Rafael Devers

San Francisco Giants receive:

• OF Ryan Wideman (No. 7 prospect, Single-A)
• RHP Garrett Hawkins (No. 12 prospect, Triple-A, near-MLB ready)

For the Padres, Devers, even at a slight discount in performance, immediately becomes their most dangerous left-handed bat and slides into a lineup that desperately needs a middle-of-the-order cornerstone. For the Giants, Wideman’s elite speed and power upside gives them a legitimate center field prospect to build around for years, and Hawkins adds bullpen depth at a fraction of the cost.

The deal requires San Francisco to eat a chunk of that contract, but getting out from under $199 million with two promising prospects in return is far better than watching Devers continue to underperform on a sinking ship. For Preller, it’s the kind of high-upside, calculated gamble he has never shied away from.

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