The Giants failed in their attempt to sign Shohei Ohtani, but Buster Posey believes the team’s top brass did everything they could in their pursuit of the two-way MLB star.
The former San Francisco star catcher, who is now part of the team’s ownership group, told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarley in an exclusive interview that the Giants are currently in a “free agent slump” after losing Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But he has faith that franchising can turn things around.
Posey, along with new Giants manager Bob Melvin, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, and owner Greg Johnson met with Ohtani at Oracle Park on December 2 before the Japanese talent made his free agency decision. Ohtani had the opportunity to be something special for San Francisco, and Posey shared with Bajarley his letter to the star, but despite the Giants agreeing to a similar deal, Ohtani ultimately decided to stay in Southern California for an unusual 10 years. , Dodgers contract worth $700 million.
“I just wanted him to understand my level of love for the San Francisco Giants and the city of San Francisco and for him to understand how much I appreciate the history here and want him to be a part of that history from now on,” Bossy told Baggarly. “It was a unique opportunity. I just feel like him coming to the Giants would have been transformative, obviously for the baseball team but also would have given the city the boost we were all looking for.”
Bossy told Bajarley he didn’t think the Giants could have done anything more with Ohtani Stadium, and Zaidi on Tuesday told reporters the team felt the decision came down to geography. Posey suggests that San Francisco’s reputation may have played a role.
“The thing that I think is noteworthy, and the thing that unfortunately keeps coming up from players and even their wives is that there is a little bit of unease with the city itself, in terms of the state of the city, with crime and drugs,” Posey explained to Baggarly. “Whether that’s completely fair or not, perception is reality. It’s a frustrating cycle, I think, and not just with baseball. Baseball is secondary to life and the important things in life. But in terms of free pursuit, I’ve seen it impact things “
The three-time World Series champion went on to tell Bajarley that he loves the Bay Area, and that he and his family, who recently returned after a year in Georgia, share a “deep bond” with the area. Just as he believes the Giants will finally land the star they’ve been looking for in free agency, Posey sees brighter days ahead for the city.
“I’m not going to pretend that I know more than I do about what the transition will look like, but sometimes things can happen faster than we think,” Posey told Baggarly. “Coronavirus is a perfect example of this as it has affected a lot of things. I think it can happen in the opposite direction and in a positive way as well.”
This was the second time Posey had been in the room as the Giants offered their free agent pitch to Ohtani, as San Francisco requested his services after the 2017 MLB season before he signed with the Los Angeles Angels. When Bossy heard that Ohtani had decided to pick the Dodgers this time, he told Baggarley that the news was “difficult” and left him feeling “really upset.”
Bossy knows homegrown talent can win championships, as the Giants proved during his tenure in 2010, 2012 and 2014. However, Ohtani’s decision does not diminish his impact, even if San Francisco gave it everything it could.
And what better way for Posey to sum up that pain than with the perfect baseball analogy?
“I’ve been thinking about it since the news came out,” Posey said when Bajarley asked if the Giants could do anything more. “I really don’t think so. It’s different but it’s similar to playing the game: I always wanted to feel when you finished, whether you won or lost, that you nailed it. I really feel like we did that.”
“I also gave this analogy to someone: My whole career, I’d rather have three broken bats in a game than three hits on somebody. For people to say, ‘Well, you did everything you could.’ I hit the goal.” The ball is on the nose. “It’s like, yeah, but in the end you want results. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result so, you know, we’ll keep pushing.”
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The pursuit of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has been one of the biggest storylines of the MLB off-season, and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey has been offering valuable insight into his team’s efforts to land the highly coveted two-way player. As a veteran leader and key figure in the Giants’ recruitment pitch, Posey’s perspective provides a unique glimpse into the team’s approach and the potential impact of adding Ohtani to their roster. With Posey’s guidance, the Giants’ pursuit of Ohtani has become a compelling and closely watched narrative in the baseball world.