How Can Bryce Eldridge and Rafael Devers Best Co-Exist?

Saying that an organization has a good problem sounds like an oxymoron, but that’s exactly where the San Francisco Giants currently sit with their first base situation.

For years, the position had been a weak spot for San Francisco. Lamonte Wade Jr. significantly regressed, and while Wilmer Flores still hit lefties, he began to show his age.

However, the outlook at the poor man’s hot corner changed about halfway through 2024. A teenager was starting to make waves in the lower minors for the Giants and began cementing himself as the future of the first base position.

Fast forward to today, and Bryce Eldridge is competing to make his first Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, the now 21-year-old’s job security took a hit in June of last year when Buster Posey shocked the world and traded for Rafael Devers.

The three-time All-Star would pick up a first base glove just weeks later and quickly become the team’s everyday first baseman, despite only playing third base in years prior and being a designated hitter through the first half of the season.

Now, San Francisco has to decide how to most effectively deploy the perennial slugger and consensus top-30 prospect for the better part of the next decade.

Bryce Eldridge’s Early Development at First Base

When the Giants selected Bryce Eldridge in the 2023 draft, he didn’t have a defensive position. He was a two-way player in high school and technically drafted as that.

The organization immediately tried him in the corner outfield, but it simply wasn’t working. He then moved to first base and that’s where he’s been developed ever since.

While the bat was making waves immediately, the returns on the defensive side of things were questionable from the 6-foot-7 teenager. However, recent reports suggest that there was improvement on that end in the closing months of last season.

Eldridge provided some optimism on his defensive abilities with a slick play against the Dodgers at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.

He has room to improve for sure, but the early steps forward in the defensive department have been an encouraging sign for Eldridge.

Rafael Devers’ Role on the Giants

When the Giants traded for Devers, there were immediate questions as to where he was going to play. He had only played third base up to that point in his career, and San Francisco has one of the best in the game already manning the hot corner in Matt Chapman.

Many began to wonder if he’d see time at first base. It was an intriguing question, especially after his fallout with the Red Sox, which inevitably led to the trade. Devers made it clear to Boston that he wouldn’t play first and that he was a third baseman.

However, the air was cleared at his San Francisco press conference when Devers shared he’d be willing to play wherever the Giants need him to play. He would go on to play just under 250 innings at the position throughout the rest of the season.

During that time, he would rack up +2 defensive runs saved. It might not have been a huge sample, but 2025 was the first season of Devers’ career in which he didn’t grade out as a negative defender in terms of DRS. At the very least, he wasn’t a liability at first in those 249 innings.

While he was a poor defender at third base with the Red Sox, he should be able to be at least league-average at first base for the Giants this season.

What Now?

Of course, Devers is going to be in the lineup every day, whether that’s at first base or as the team’s designated hitter. He’s now the club’s best offensive player and exactly who the Giants had been looking for in free agency throughout the last few offseasons.

While San Francisco ended up having a quieter offseason, they certainly view Devers’ first full season in the bay as a free-agent acquisition in itself. When he’s going right, he’s one of the premier left-handed bats in baseball.

Since the start of the 2017 season, Devers ranks in the top 20 among players with at least 3,000 plate appearances in home runs (235), RBIs (747), runs (715), isolated power (.231), and slugging percentage (.506).

On the flip side is Eldridge, who is completely unproven but arguably the most intriguing prospect to come through the organization since Buster Posey. While there is some strikeout concerns, the quality of contact in 2025 was absolutely absurd.

Between three levels, including MLB, Eldridge ran an average exit velocity of 95.6 mph. That number trailed only Oneil Cruz in terms of qualified MLB hitters and comes in right above Aaron Judge’s average of 95.4 mph.

He also ran a hard-hit rate of 63% while hitting 25 home runs in 102 minor-league games.

Of course, the Giants will have Devers and Eldridge split time between first base and DH. However, Devers has been pretty outspoken on the fact that he enjoys being on the field playing defense in between at-bats.

Thus, the Giants’ ultimate dilemma: Does the 21-year-old Eldridge become a designated hitter for the majority of the time this early in his career?

While yes, the bat could absolutely be good enough to make it work, it would significantly hinder his ability to contribute value in other ways, develop as an overall big leaguer, and accumulate WAR.

He has been seen taking fly balls in the corner outfield spots several times throughout the early days of spring training, but that, of course, isn’t a long-term option for him. As mentioned earlier, it didn’t work out when the Giants attempted to develop him as a corner outfielder shortly after he got drafted.

Perhaps that has changed. But even with the poorly graded defense of Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee, this is likely just preparation for emergency situations instead of their long-term outlook for Eldridge.

Closing Thoughts

Seeing how the Giants use Devers and Eldridge will be one of the more intriguing storylines to follow throughout the early months of the 2026 season. San Francisco certainly doesn’t want to risk messing up the development of their top prospect but also would like to get the most possible value out of Devers.

Either way, one thing’s for sure: Buster Posey and new manager Tony Vitello have two sweet-swinging, power-hitting left-handed bats at their disposal for the better part of the next decade.

If all things work out, these guys should be competing for the highest home run total in the clubhouse for years. We’ll just have to see whether those come while playing first base or at designated hitter.