San Francisco’s $211 Million Miscalculation Could Make St. Louis a Real Threat

One year ago, the San Francisco Giants celebrated landing Rafael Devers as the kind of franchise-altering move that was supposed to change their trajectory. Instead, it has become a cautionary tale. Through the first half of the 2026 season, Devers is slashing .235 with a .709 OPS and a -0.9 WAR, and the Giants sit at 29-43 — buried in the NL West and openly shopping the left-handed slugger.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals are 39-31, sitting just 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and firmly in Wild Card position. They are not rebuilding — they are chasing October. And according to multiple reports, they are exploring exactly this kind of high-risk, high-reward opportunity.

The problem is Devers’ contract. He is still owed $211 million through 2033, and with declining in-zone contact rates and a ballooning strikeout rate, most teams have balked. CBS Sports noted last week that the Giants are “open to offers” on Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman — but that the near-unmovable deal has been a serious obstacle.

That is where St. Louis offers something different. The Cardinals can absorb portions of the salary more willingly than a rebuilding club. General manager John Mozeliak has a reputation as one of the sport’s craftiest negotiators when motivated, and the team ranks near the bottom of the National League in slugging percentage. A bounce-back Devers — even a partial one — could be the middle-of-the-order presence the lineup lacks.

The Framework That Could Work

Here is what a sensible deal might look like, according to league sources who spoke on condition of anonymity:

St. Louis receives: 1B/DH Rafael Devers
San Francisco receives: RHP Tekoah Roby (Cardinals’ No. 6 prospect) and OF Ryan Mitchell (No. 10 prospect)

For the Giants, this is about salvaging value from a situation that has cratered Roby, a 6-foot-1 right-hander with a curveball graded 65 on the 20-80 scale, underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2025 and is not expected back until 2027. He is a future-value chip — exactly the kind of piece a seller accepts. Mitchell, 19, was a second-round pick in 2025 out of Tennessee, earning a $2.25 million signing bonus. He has six home runs and 15 stolen bases at Single-A Palm Beach this season, with a scouting profile that projects solid power and speed.

For the Cardinals, this is a calculated bet. Devers turns 30 in October, owns a career .488 slugging percentage, and has averaged 33 home runs per year across his best seasons. The financial structure matters here: if San Francisco is willing to eat $80 to $90 million of the remaining deal, the risk becomes manageable for a contending team.

The deal requires creativity from both sides, but the fit is undeniable. St. Louis gets a dangerous left-handed bat with genuine bounce-back potential. San Francisco gets a blue-chip arm to build around in 2027 and a toolsy outfield prospect — a far better outcome than watching Devers strikeout his way through another irrelevant season.