The Giants are preparing ‘full-court press’ for Shohei Ohtani

Major League Baseball’s free agency period is here, and at least one West Coast team is readying to put everything on the table for the biggest prize.

The San Francisco Giants are preparing a “full-court press” to sign Shohei Ohtani, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jon Shea.  

San Francisco’s president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was mum when asked about the prospect of signing the two-way Japanese superstar, but several industry figures said the Giants will be right in the mix, per Jon Shea. 

“I would think the Giants are a natural fit,” one agent told Shea. “The Rangers seem built to last. The Dodgers have to be in that conversation. You have to think the Yankees because they could always make it work. He can go where he wants. He’s on his own island.” 

A second agent said the Giants “have a shot at him. Location matters.”

However, the agent added that the Dodgers, who are also expected to pursue Ohtani, should be looked at as the favorites to win the sweepstakes. 

The Giants are widely expected to be in the market for superstar-level talent after a disappointing offseason last year and back-to-back years missing the playoffs.

San Francisco was a top suitor for Aaron Judge last winter all the way up until the 2022 American League MVP opted to return to the Bronx.

Judge met with the Giants around Thanksgiving and appeared to entertain the idea of signing in San Francisco, who reportedly offered him around the $360 million figure he got from the Yankees.

The Giants also agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with Carlos Correa before the deal broke down after concerns about Correa’s surgically repaired right ankle emerged following a physical.

Even after undergoing shoulder surgery that will keep him off the mound until 2025, Ohtani is expected to sign a record-setting deal this winter. 

The Post’s Jon Heyman reported last month that industry experts expect $500 million to be the baseline for Ohtani, and his contract could get as high as $600 million.