Yankees shouldn't get any ideas about rumored SF Giants trade candidates

It's starting to feel as if this season, the New York Yankees will be more aggressive than ever at the trade deadline, as the club has been linked to several of the biggest names expected to be dealt before August 3. One team primed to be a seller with several high-profile players expected to be on the block is the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants are expected to listen on veterans like Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers, among others. With the Yankees having needs at third base and shortstop, it's left some fans salivating at the thought of adding one or more of these well-known stars.

What always glitters isn't gold, however, and while all of these guys have some real name value, there's a reason why the Giants are entering action on June 18 sitting at 31-43, just 2.5 games ahead of the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies.

Yankees need to steer clear of Giants pitfalls Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers, and Willy Adames

For some, the thought of sticking it to the Red Sox and preventing a bonafide Yankee-killer in Devers from landing elsewhere might be intoxicating, but the way Devers has been swinging the bat lately, he might as well be intoxicated at the plate.

The 29-year-old is hitting just .240/.301/.431 with 10 homers and a 30.1% strikeout rate. His demise at the dish really started last year when he arrived in San Francisco, hitting a decent, but un-Devers-like .236/.347/.460. On top of that, his defense at third base has gotten so bad that he's unplayable at the position. He's owed another $199.5 million over the next seven seasons. Hard pass.

Chapman falls into the category of a player who should be on the Yankees radar if not for his contract. He hasn't posted an OPS above .790 since 2020, and his true-talent level at age 33 seems to be a roughly .750 mark, which is ever-so-slightly above average. The main draw for him is his excellent glove work at the hot corner.

Unfortunately, he's owed a hair over $100 million for the next four seasons. He's a half-step decline away from becoming what Ryan McMahon is today for the Yankees, but at three times the money. That's just a disaster waiting to happen.

Speaking of disasters, Willy Adames has become one very quickly. Yes, he clubbed 30 long balls last year, but it came with a paltry .225/.318/.421 line as it was pretty much an all-or-nothing approach for the shortstop. This year, things are even worse as his power and walk rate have both taken steps back, producing a .228/.273/.416 line thus far.

His once-stellar defense has fallen off dramatically. The former Tampa Bay Ray went from posting 16 outs above average in 2023 to 0 OAA in 2024 to five OAA in 2025 to an absolutely brutal -14 OAA so far in 2026. That's led him to subtract 0.3 fWAR from the Giants after years of being a consistent 4 WAR player. This is only year two of the seven-year, $189 million pact he signed with San Francisco.

If you're frustrated by Anthony Volpe, imagine how much you'd want to pull your hair out watching Adames play at the same or worse level for 7.5 times the money.

Other Giants veterans you might hear linked to the Yankees just make no sense from a fit perspective. Luis Arraez does nothing other than slap singles, and while he's miraculously playing a solid second base this year, he's typically been so bad with the glove that he doesn't really have a position. Regardless, first and second base aren't needs.

Robbie Ray is another one who just makes no sense. New York's rotation has been among the best in baseball, and when at full strength, it won't have enough spots for all the deserving starters. There's no need to take on a guy with an ERA over 4 and a salary of $25 million.

You'll hear pundits throw out these players as potential targets for the Yankees, not because of any real rumors, but simply because San Francisco is one of the most obvious deadline sellers. At which point, you have to ask yourself: if they have so many quality veterans, why have they lost so many games? The answer? The production no longer meets the name value, so the Yankees would be wise to stay very far away.

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