It has been a lost season for the San Francisco Giants.
After entering this season with high expectations, the Giants find themselves entering Tuesday with the second-worst record in the National League at 31-46, with the team even considering shipping off some of their top players at the trade deadline.
If you want to pick one moment that could perhaps summarize the Giants' season to this point, look no further than Sunday against the Miami Marlins. In between San Francisco getting swept by the Marlins over the weekend, Rafael Devers was seen waving off a pinch runner during Sunday's finale after leading off the top of the ninth inning with a walk.
Devers was visibly frustrated by the move from manager Tony Vitello, which led many to believe he could be a trade chip the Giants could move. The 29-year-old, however, wanted to clear the air.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday before the Giants' game against the Athletics, Devers said he apologized to Vitello after Sunday's game, calling it a "misunderstanding."
"It was a misunderstanding," Devers said. "Two days prior to that, I had told the manager that I had a problem with my hamstring and I thought that was the reason he was taking me out of the game ... it just got a little bit blown out of proportion."
Devers was thought to be the Giants' missing piece for a World Series title after they acquired the All-Star from the Boston Red Sox just over a year ago to take on the remaining 10-year, $313.5 million deal he signed with Boston in January 2023.
While Devers is clearly trying to move on from this incident, it's possible that his name will continue to swirl in trade talks between now and the August 3 deadline.
After Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last week that the Giants are considering selling off some of their big bats, including Devers, some decisions are expected to be made by president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, and company. Especially whether or not Devers has a future in San Francisco.
