In recent weeks, San Francisco has come under fire, fairly or unfairly, for the Giants’ potential difficulty signing top free agents.
In addition to Giants fan favorites like Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and Logan Webb, figures like Warriors coach Steve Kerr and MLB agent Scott Boras have recently stepped in to protect San Francisco, highlighting just how desirable San Francisco is. city, and San Francisco’s problems highlight how it is. Unique to the city.
Adding new Giants manager Bob Melvin to San Francisco’s list of defenders, the Bay Area native addressed the city’s negative comments in a recent appearance on “The TK Show” with The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami. I rebelled against recognition.
“The players have always wanted to come to San Francisco,” Melvin explained to Kawakami. “It’s a great, great city. I think big cities have similar problems. And at the end of the day, we want people who want to be here. So if people[about the city]) You can’t really influence how you feel.
“The more players that end up here and have success, the more players that want to be here. That’s the way I look at it.”
Despite missing out on signing Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Melvin knows San Francisco is a free agent hotspot.
Proof of that is evident in the Giants’ recent signing of Korean star Lee Jung-hoo from the KBO League to a six-year, $113 million contract.
Nevertheless, Melvin intends to use Posey’s path when recruiting free agents around San Francisco, as the legendary Giants catcher was born and raised in the South and turned Bay Area local.
“That’s a great story about Buster,” Melvin told Kawakami. “It’s about playing your career here and then coming back. And he realized after a year, ‘Oh, I’m a Bay Area guy,’ and moved back East to his Bay here for a while.” That resonates with me. I think it will resonate with many men, including the meaning of living here, the culture of the Bay Area, and the sports culture.
“You’ve got to keep converting as it is, but that’s certainly a point of discussion to try to take a player that could be in the middle. Let’s look at Buster Posey’s past. He’s in the Bay Area It’s been a pretty good path that means a lot to baseball and the Bay Area as a whole. It’s a good story to have in your back pocket.”
Posey recently acknowledged concerns about the city from players and their families, but he is rooted in the community and Melvin is eager to set an example when recruiting players.
As the Giants look for ways to improve throughout the offseason, Melvin doesn’t believe the city of San Francisco is to blame for the lack of a blockbuster contract.
In fact, the Giants’ 79-83 record in the 2023 MLB season could well serve as a deterrent to free agency.
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