The San Francisco Giants had high hopes of acquiring Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese two-way star, during the offseason. They made three offers to Ohtani, with the final proposal being very comparable to the record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract he eventually signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It seemed like a promising opportunity for the Giants to secure a major talent, but ultimately, they were left empty-handed.
On December 2nd, the Giants had a two-hour meeting with Ohtani at Oracle Park. Present at the meeting were Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball operations, Greg Johnson, former catcher Buster Posey, and new manager Bob Melvin. Zaidi mentioned that San Francisco adjusted their offers to meet Ohtani’s requests, even making a proposal that could have become the largest contract in MLB history. They wanted to demonstrate their aggressiveness and genuine interest in acquiring his talent.
One potential disadvantage for the Giants was the inability to show Ohtani around the San Francisco area to explore different neighborhoods and assess potential residences. The meeting was confined to Oracle Park to avoid any potential spotting of Ohtani. However, as the Giants sensed his preference to stay in Southern California, they realized that it might be challenging to secure his agreement despite their proposed financial commitment.
As a few days passed since the Giants’ latest offer, the team had not received any feedback from Ohtani’s representatives. This raised concerns among the Giants’ executives, leaving them anxiously waiting for Ohtani to make his decision. Unfortunately for San Francisco, Ohtani ultimately chose to join the Dodgers, leaving the Giants empty-handed once again.
The Giants’ failure to secure Ohtani follows a pattern from the previous offseason. They missed out on acquiring Aaron Judge and decided not to finalize a $350 million, 13-year agreement with Carlos Correa. Concerns regarding Correa’s physical health stemming from a 2014 leg surgery led the Giants to step back. These missed opportunities highlight the Giants’ struggles in attracting and acquiring top-tier talent.
When asked about the specifics of the Giants’ proposal compared to the Dodgers’, Zaidi confirmed that both offers were similar in structure and total compensation. Although the Giants were in the running until the end, they were unable to outperform the Dodgers in terms of player preference and geography. Zaidi acknowledged the competitive nature of free agency and how it can sometimes put teams at a disadvantage.
The Giants’ pursuit of Shohei Ohtani ended in disappointment. Despite making competitive offers and demonstrating their commitment to securing his talent, they were unable to sway Ohtani away from their arch-rivals, the Dodgers. This missed opportunity adds to a growing trend of the Giants struggling to acquire elite players, leaving fans and executives alike wondering what steps they need to take to turn their fortunes around. The battle for top talent in free agency continues, and the Giants must regroup and reassess their approach if they hope to compete successfully in the future.
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