Though the Giants made some nice moves this offseason, it will be forever remembered for the big names they didn’t land.
First it was Aaron Judge, who reportedly chose the Giants for about five minutes before it turned out to be a false alarm. Later that evening, he re-signed with the New York Yankees. More brutal was what happened later in the winter with Carlos Correa, who was hours away from an introductory press conference, only for a failed physical to first delay it, then shutter the deal completely.
When the dust settled it was yet another offseason that began with the hope of landing a star, and ended without one.
Still, there’s always next year, and there could be arguably the biggest star in MLB on the open market. According to recent comments from his agent, transcendent two-way player Shohei Ohtani is likely to hit free agency rather than re-sign with the Angels this season.
“I’ve always been open to it,” agent Nez Balelo told reporters of a possible long-term extension between Ohtani and the Angels via ESPN. “But there’s several layers to this one, and Shohei’s earned the right to play through the year, explore free agency, and we’ll see where it shakes out.”
When you combine these comments with comments made in The Athletic last offseason that Ohtani would like to stay out west, it’s enough to make any Giants fan salivate.
“I don’t think he’s an East Coast guy,” an executive told The Athletic. “My first instinct is to say Dodgers or Giants. But I actually don’t think he would go to the Dodgers just because it would look like he’s sticking it to the Angels. I could see him going to Seattle. But West Coast. That’s my guess.”
Ohtani was named the American League MVP in 2021 and finished second in voting last season. He finished 2022 with an OPS of .875, slugged 34 home runs and posted a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts. His 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings was the highest in the AL.
