Jeff Passan lists SF Giants among teams expected to lead Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes
It was only a matter of time before the SF Giants were connected to Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani. After the Giants fell short in their pursuit of outfielder Aaron Judge last offseason and called off a record-setting deal with shortstop Carlos Correa, the franchise is expected to once again pursue a top free agent next offseason. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan listed the Giants among five teams expected to lead the charge for Ohtani if he chooses to leave the Angels.
Angels star Shohei Ohtani strikes out against the Nationals. (2023)
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
"Seeing him do everything that he's been doing for the last three years when he's been the best team on the planet," Passan said on ESPN's Get Up!. "Shows you why the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets are going to be the two teams that are budding heads with the Giants, Yankees, and the Mariners, and perhaps others on the periphery, to pay the guy $500 million plus dollars. That's where the bidding is going to start, and it's only going to get higher than that because this guy is simply better than everyone."
Ohtani has established himself as the best player in MLB since signing with the Angels prior to the 2018 season. The 2021 American League MVP, Ohtani has established himself as both an elite starting pitcher and designated hitter, managing to excel as a full-time player in both roles. Over his six-year MLB career, Ohtani has a .267/.354/.530 triple-slash with 131 home runs in 584 games at the plate alongside a 2.84 ERA with 468 strikeouts in 370.2 innings pitched (67 starts) on the mound.
Given the Giants failure to get a sizable contract across the finish line in recent years, fans are going to be rightfully skeptical of any rumors tying them to Ohtani. It's worth noting that the Giants were the only team Passan listed that did not reach the playoffs or finish above .500 last season. While the Giants are not the only team in that group to have gotten off to a slow start this season, they currently have a worse record than the four other teams.
The main reason most people expect Ohtani to leave the Los Angeles Angels in free agency next offseason has nothing to do with money or market. It has to do with winning. Ohtani still has never appeared in a big-league playoff game. The Giants may have finished one game out of a Wild Card spot in 2020 and won 107 games in 2021, but the team is 6-12 so far this season after a mediocre 81-81 2022 campaign.
The SF Giants obviously hope they can right the ship and find their way to postseason contention this season. But it may mean more for the future of the franchise than simply another trip to the playoffs. Rather, a winning season that lasts late into October could be necessary for the Giants to find a way to land Shohei Ohtani.
