Giants executive Buster Posey explains why they traded for Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers

San Francisco pulled off the stunning acquisition Sunday night

The San Francisco Giants pulled off the most shocking trade of the Major League Baseball season on Sunday night, obtaining three-time All-Star slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox as part of a five-player swap.

While the deal may have been a stunner, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey put it simply, revealing that -- shocker -- his interest in Devers stemmed from his potent offense.

Rafael Devers trade grades: Giants get 'B' for big swing, Red Sox escape drama partially of their own making

R.J. Anderson

"The bat is so special," Posey told reporters Sunday night, explaining that the deal came together over a few weeks' time. "It's just really hard to acquire this type of talent at this point of his career. We're obviously taking on a lot of money. We're giving up some pitching, we're giving up our first-round pick last year, so it didn't come without a cost. It felt like this was a chance to take a shot."

Devers, 28, will join the Giants having hit .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs and 18 doubles in his first 73 games. His 152 OPS+ would constitute a new career high if he maintains it the rest of the season. Devers' contributions, mind you without playing a single defensive inning, has been worth an estimated 2.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.

Of course, the biggest question facing Devers now is where he'll play defensively. The Giants are currently without injured third baseman Matt Chapman, and have been deploying Dominic Smith and Wilmer Flores at first base and designated hitter. Devers' falling out with the Red Sox stemmed from him being moved around the diamond -- initially from third base to DH, though he later refused to attempt playing first base following Triston Casas' season-ending injury -- so it'll be interesting where the Giants deploy him and for how long.