Are the Giants Sacrificing Too Much Infield Defense?
The key elements to the San Francisco Giants’ three World Series wins in 2010, 2012, and 2014 were pitching and defense. However, the Giants have been searching for something different and have seemingly found and added quality pieces to their offense with some of their recent moves. They brought slugger Rafael Devers to San Francisco in exchange for starting pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, former first-round pick James Tibbs III, as well as minor league pitcher Jose Bello, well before the MLB Trade Deadline last season. Additionally, on February 1st, it was reported that the Giants have a one-year agreement in place with infielder Luis Arraez.
Arraez is one of the premier contact hitters in today’s game as a three-time batting champion and three-time all-star. During the 2025 season, he had a .292 batting average, eight home runs, and 61 runs batted in through 154 games for the San Diego Padres. His offense has never been in doubt. However, the concerns are on the other side of the ball as he is not known for his defense. Since the Padres had better defensive options with Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth holding down their respective positions, they slotted the 28-year-old infielder into the first base spot for the majority of the 2025 season.
As a member of the Giants, Arraez will have the chance to move back to second base. It is the position he has played the most games in his MLB career. The 28-year-old bats left-handed, so the Giants will have to decide who to pair him with from the right side. When Spring Training comes around, the more defense-oriented Casey Schmitt, Christian Koss, and Tyler Fitzgerald will be fighting for a spot to play alongside Arraez.
Devers is still getting accustomed to life with the Giants. He has expressed that he enjoys being out in the field, so it is expected that he will serve as the Giants’ starting first baseman for the upcoming season. The Giants hope he will mesh well with their top prospect, Bryce Eldridge, to form a formidable tandem. As a natural third baseman switching over to first base, it is undoubtedly a change for Devers, but the transition across the diamond should be manageable. The role players on the right side of the infield will be vital, especially for late-game defensive situations. No role is too small; role players can still have an impact on the game. Hopefully, the balance has not been tipped too far in favor of bolstering the Giants’ offense.
