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Shohei Ohtani agreed to sign with the Dodgers last week in free agency
But the Giants were one of many teams that tried to sign the superstar.
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Giants legend and co-owner Buster Posey believes San Francisco’s reputation for crime and drugs hampered the team’s recruiting efforts for Shohei Ohtani.
The Japanese superstar agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last week, although the vast majority of that contract will be deferred until 2034.
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters Tuesday that the team offered the exact same terms. But Posey, who was part of the team group that proposed Ohtani to the signing, believes the negotiations were affected by San Francisco itself.
“Something that I think is worth mentioning, something that unfortunately keeps showing up among the players and even among the wives of the players, is that there is a little bit of unrest with the city itself, in terms of the state of the city, with the crime , with drugs,” he said. he said The Athletic.
“Whether all of this is completely fair or not, perception is reality,” he said. “I think it’s a frustrating cycle, and not just in baseball. Baseball is secondary to life and the important things in life. But as far as finding a free agent goes, I’ve seen that it does affect things.”
Shohei Ohtani decided to sign with the Dodgers after a lengthy free agency process
And Giants legend Buster Posey believes San Francisco’s criminal reputation hurt the Giants.
Homeless people are seen in the Mission district of San Francisco, California, United States
While Ohtani didn’t bring up the topic, Posey said, the former catcher claimed “there were some reservations with the state of the city right now” from the 29-year-old’s camp.
According to the website HomeSnacksSan Francisco’s violent crime rate is 88.2 percent higher than the national average.
However, reports from San Francisco Chronicle in April indicated that the city’s violent crime rate is lower than those of Dallas, Seattle and New York.
However, that may not have mattered as Zaidi said there was a “preference” for Ohtani to stay in Southern California after starting his career with the Angels.
Ohtani will reportedly defer payment of $680 million on his deal once it expires, meaning he will receive an average annual salary of just $2 million a year.
The nature of the deal has been criticized by many, including Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo.