The San Francisco Giants' failed pursuits of superstars Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Bryce Harper in free agency furthered the narrative that San Francisco is an undesirable destination for professional athletes.
Farhan Zaidi, the Giants' president of baseball operations whose bids to sign the three sluggers fell short, believes nothing could be further from the truth.
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"I don't know there's really a common thread," Zaidi said on Foul Territory Wednesday, when asked why the three free agents signed elsewhere. "We took some swings. They were swings and misses. I take responsibility for that.
"But I really push back hard on this narrative that nobody wants to play in San Francisco," Zaidi continued. "Nobody wants to play for the Giants. It's a great city, it's a great organization. I have been so happy in my time in San Francisco and I wish the organization success, and I know they're going to be able to attract players. Willy Adames ... is just the latest example of that."
The Giants recently signed Adames, the premier shortstop on the free agent market, to a seven-year, $182 million contract.
So, why did Ohtani, Judge, and Harper sign elsewhere? Zaidi — who was fired in October and replaced by Buster Posey — offered some insight into each player's thinking.
Why did Shohei Ohtani choose the Dodgers over the Giants?
The Giants and Toronto Blue Jays both offered Ohtani similar terms as those he ultimately accepted from Los Angeles: a 10-year, $700 million contract with all but $20 million in salary deferred until after the contract expires.
Zaidi has a theory about why the Dodgers had an edge during Ohtani's first foray into major league free agency last year.
"You look at Shohei, he was building a house in Southern California," he said. "Obviously the Dodgers have been really successful."
Why did Aaron Judge choose the Yankees over the Giants?
For a brief time in Dec. 2022, even some folks inside the Yankees organization believed they had lost Aaron Judge to the Giants when reporter Jon Heyman infamously wrote on his Twitter/X account that "Arson" Judge "appeared" headed to San Francisco.
Zaidi knew there was no agreement in place.
"Some guys are just East Coast guys, and want to prefer to be there," Zaidi said. "Aaron Judge had a legacy with the New York Yankees, one of the signature franchises in baseball, and it was kind of hard to pull him away from that. We tried, but ultimately it didn't work."
Why did Bryce Harper choose the Phillies over the Giants?
Bryce Harper's free agency started in Oct. 2018, ended in March 2019, and took several twists and turns in between.
Ultimately he chose to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies. Zaidi believes the imposing, spacious outfield at Oracle Park at the time might have played a role in Harper's decision.
"I think Bryce had some concerns about the ballpark," Zaidi said. "That can happen at times when you're trying to sign a position player. Not always, but it's something that position players have some concerns with."
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