MLB Insider reveals Padres missed their shot on Rafael Devers blockbuster trade

Imagine a world where Rafael Devers is mashing home runs at Petco Park in a Padres uniform. His left-handed bat is in the heart of a San Diego lineup that was desperate for pop. For a team still finding its post-Soto identity, a slugger like Devers could have changed everything. And for a brief moment, it seemed possible.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Padres were one of several teams who held legitimate trade talks with the Boston Red Sox before Devers was ultimately dealt to the San Francisco Giants. Per Nightengale, “The Red Sox say that they had conversations with the Mariners, Cubs, Padres, Blue Jays and Atlanta about Devers before dealing him to San Francisco.”

But like so many of A.J. Preller’s trade flirtations, this one never reached the altar. And that might be for the best.

Yes, Devers would’ve brought power and pedigree to a Padres offense that has struggled to find consistency. He’s a three-time All-Star, a career .280 hitter, and a proven run producer who’d slot perfectly into the middle of any contending lineup. But at what cost?

Padres showed interest in Devers, but Giants made the big-market move

Devers is only in year two of a 10-year, $313.5 million deal — a financial commitment that would’ve stretched San Diego’s already-thin flexibility to its breaking point. Taking on that contract would’ve forced serious questions about the franchise’s ability to keep key players like Dylan Cease (a free agent after 2025) or whether they’d even pick up Michael King’s $15 million option following his injury-plagued season.

And if they didn’t win the World Series in 2025 with Devers? The pressure and financial fallout would have been immense.

Meanwhile, the Giants are flexing their financial muscle in a way we haven’t seen in years. Devers joins a San Francisco team that’s quietly transformed itself into a big-market bully — adding Willy Adames (7 years, $182M), Matt Chapman (6 years, $151M), and extending Jung Hoo Lee (5 years, $104.75M) in just the last two offseasons. In taking on Devers' contract, the Giants have made it clear: they're playing to win now.

The Padres? They’re walking a different path — one that requires a bit more nuance.

San Diego has never truly operated like a small-market team despite being labeled as such. They’ve made bold commitments to franchise faces: Manny Machado (11 years, $350 million), Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340 million), Xander Bogaerts (11 years, $280 million), and most recently, 22-year-old Jackson Merrill (9 years, $135 million). These are not the actions of a frugal front office. They're calculated bets on longevity.

But unlike the Giants, the Padres no longer have the bandwidth to absorb another mega-deal. Since trading Juan Soto to the Yankees in December 2023, they’ve been experimenting with budget-friendly replacements and focusing on depth. They’re playing the long game — and the Devers deal never made long-term sense.

Still, the fact that the Padres were in the conversation for Devers speaks volumes. It shows they remain aggressive and opportunistic, even while toeing a financial tightrope. It confirms that Preller and company are not punting on the present, but instead searching for the right move — not just the flashiest one.

The NL West is far from settled. The Dodgers may still reign, and the Giants just took a big swing. But don’t count out the Padres. The trade deadline looms, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned: The Padres are never truly out of the mix until the dust settles.

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