The San Francisco Giants still hold the contractual power to move Rafael Devers if they ever decide the fit no longer works. That reality sits at the center of the latest conversation around the slugger’s future, even as club officials continue to describe him as part of the long-term plan.
Devers arrived from Boston in June 2025 with years remaining on a massive extension, and the structure of that deal left him without the usual veto that many veterans take for granted.
Alvin Garcia of Heavy.com has taken a closer look at the possibility of the trade, noting that Devers does not currently possess contractual protection that would allow him to block a deal. This means the Giants can trade him without obtaining his approval if they unexpectedly change direction.
When the Red Sox sent him west, reporting at the time noted that his 10-year, $313.5 million extension contained no no-trade clause. The 10-and-5 rule that gives some veterans veto power does not apply either.
A player needs 10 years of major-league service and five consecutive seasons with the same club; Devers has not spent five straight years in San Francisco because the Giants acquired him midseason in 2025.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey therefore does not need Devers’s permission to negotiate with another team.
That legal opening does not mean a trade is likely. Public comments from the organization have pointed toward building around Devers rather than shopping him, and late-season production strengthened the case for keeping him.
The remaining money is substantial, with more than $200 million still owed after 2026 and deferred payments stretching further.
Any club interested in Devers would have to absorb that commitment or receive significant salary relief, which narrows the field of realistic suitors.
The absence of a no-trade clause is not a new development. It is the same contractual detail that allowed Boston to move him in the first place after a public rift over position changes.
Devers could not dictate destination then, and he cannot dictate it now. What has changed is the context. The Giants invested in him as the middle-of-the-order bat they had pursued for years, and Posey’s recent comments about the 2027 lineup have included Devers rather than treating him as a movable piece.
Still, baseball front offices rarely close doors completely. An extraordinary offer could force a second look, just as an unexpected deal once sent Devers across the country.
For now the distinction is simple: a trade is possible on paper because Devers lacks veto power, and it remains improbable because the Giants have given little indication they want to use that power.
The contract leaves the choice with the club, not the player.
