Could the Giants enter the Ohtani contest? Agent hints of free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
After failing to land a superstar this winter, could the Giants have a shot at signing the face of baseball next offseason?
That seems increasingly likely after comments by Shohei Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo on Monday that suggested the two-way Los Angeles Angels phenom will likely hit the open market after the 2023 MLB season.
“I’ve always been open to that,” Balelo told reporters of a possible long-term extension between Ohtani and the Angels (h/t ESPN). “But there are many layers to it, and Shohei has earned the right to play all year round, to explore free will, and we’ll see where that goes.”
Whether that means Ohtani re-signing with the Angels or being drawn to another team, the price should be lucrative either way — and the Giants have the coffers to make a pitch.
In 2022, the 28-year-old continued his 2021 AL MVP campaign with an even better season, slashing .273/.356/.519 with 34 homers, 11 stolen bases and 95 RBI. On the mound, Ohtani went 19-5 as the Angels’ ace with 219 strikeouts in 166 innings.
Ultimately, Ohtani’s new contract could be in the region of $500 million. He signed a one-year, $30 million contract with the Angels for Season 23 in October, and Balelo made it seem like the two sides negotiating a spring training extension were unlikely.
“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – we’re taking it one day at a time,” Balelo said. “I’m not putting the cart before the horse on this one.”
The Giants missed Aaron Judge this winter, and San Francisco fans watched in real time as the team’s failed deal with Carlos Correa. While the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets should be the first to knock on Ohtani’s door in free agency, it’s likely the Giants won’t be far behind. They have the money to do it, and the Bay Area desperately needs a baseball superstar.
San Francisco was already linked with Ohtani last summer, when an MLB executive told The Athletic’s Jayson Stark that the Giants could be a potential free agency landing spot for the hitting ace.
“I don’t think he’s an East Coast guy,” the executive told The Athletic. “My first instinct is to say Dodgers or Giants. But I don’t think he would go to the Dodgers just because I’m in heaven. I could see him going to Seattle. But the West Coast. That’s my guess. “
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Whether Ohtani will hit free agency remains to be seen, but it certainly looks like things are headed in that direction.
And if he does, expect the Giants to push.
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