Tag: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Ohtani and Yamamoto key in Dodgers wins; Ex Dodger Taylor is getting some reps with Angels; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Los Angeles Dodgers two way star Shohei Ohtani throws batting practice before meeting the New York Mets Sun May 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

That’s Amaruy News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, Los Angeles Dodgers two way star Shohei Ohtani threw a 22 pitch bullpen session one of the pitches was a 97 mph fast ball how close does he look to returning to the mound.

#2 The Dodgers who had been struggling losing four of their last ten games are showing signs of improvement with a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Ohtani and Dodger pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto were both key players in this game. Yamamoto pitched six innings giving up two hits. Ohtani hit a home run for his second straight game for a league leading 19 homers.

#3 Former Dodger Chris Taylor reached a one year agreement at the MLB minimum salary with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Taylor started in centerfield on Monday night against the New York Yankees and batted in the eighth hole.

#4 The Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal’s strike to balls ratio is 82 Ks to 3 Base on balls. Skubal is being compared to former Detroit Tiger Justin Verlander who was unstoppable during his Tigers days. Skubal on Sunday pitched a complete 5-0 shutout against the Cleveland Guardians in Detroit. Skubal has movement on his pitches and was dealing.

#5 Boston Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler has something to say about a pitch that he said was a strike. The reply did show the ball landed in the box. none the less Walker argued the ball was a strike against New York Mets hitter Juan Soto. Walker was ejected from the game and manager Alex Cora came out and had his say as well.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Braves Strider returns after 1 years absence pitches perfect 2 plus innings; Twins Lewis out with hamstring injury; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (00) pitches to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Truist Field in Cobb County GA on Apr 5, 2024. Strider hasn’t pitched in a year since and pitched over two innings of perfect ball against the Boston Red Sox in spring training on Mon Mar 17, 2025 (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1  Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider made his first appearance in a year to throw 2 2/3 innings of perfect ball against the Boston Red Sox. Strider struck out six of the eight batters he faced. Strider was pleased to return to the mound after being out,  “It was like a little reward sprinkled on the pathway, a good test for the work you’ve been doing.” Strider had Tommy John surgery last season.

#2  Royce Lewis of the Minnesota Twins will miss opening day due to a left hamstring strain injury the Twins announced on Monday. Lewis is the Twins third baseman and the Twins do not know when he will be back. Lewis will have to go on the IL and go through a recovery rehab period.

#3 Jace Jung was demoted from the Detroit Tigers to Triple A Toledo. Jung was trying to earn a spot on the roster at third base for opening day. The Tigers also optioned pitcher Sean Guenther to Toledo and the Tigers now have 39 players on the roster in the Grapefruit League camp in Lakeland Florida. Jung was under consideration to take free agent who went to the Boston Red Sox Alex Bregman’s spot on the roster. Jung was 4 for 33 with a .121 batting average with one home run and two doubles.

#4 There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Dodgers are loaded and are one of the most World Series ready teams in MLB. With an All Star cast, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and Blake Snell just to name a few teams who face the Dodgers are going to have fits.

#5 Amaury, how important is it that the A’s have a grand opening success in Sacramento and a proper introduction to the Sacramento fans in the home opener on Mon Mar 31st at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento?

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: A’s barnstorming idea might not sit well with State of Nevada; Dodgers Yamamoto dealing against Yankees; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches to the New York Yankees in the bottom of the first inning at Yankee Stadium in New York on Fri Jun 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Oakland A’s plans to play at least eight games away from the Tropicana ballpark starting in 2028 for the sake of branding the game in neutral site games. The move could impact the team’s financial projections plus the A’s need to sell out every home game to keep up with costs of the construction and payments of the park. Their departure for eight to ten games will impact their ability to meet their budget schedule.

#2 Anytime the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers face each other something will leap out of the headlines and Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is no exception he pitched seven innings, two hits, two walks and seven strikeouts to get by the Yankees 2-1 at Yankee Stadium on Friday.

#3 The Yankees are relieved about learning that Juan Soto had forearm inflammation as opposed to structural damage damage that could have put him out for the season.

#4 Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager who suffered a hamstring injury and was not in Friday’s line up against the San Francisco Giants. Seager could miss multiple games and because of tightness in his left hamstring. Seager came out of Wednesday’s game reaching for his hamstring after hitting an RBI single. He did appear on the field before Friday’s game but had to leave and sit out the game.

#5 It’s been a huge month for the Negro Leagues Museum and Museum president Bob Kendrick saying the Negro Leagues is trending and he looks forward to hosting the Rickwood Field game on June 20th in Birmingham a game that is a tribute to the Negro Leagues that will feature the St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.

Join Charlie O for the Headlines podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

#1

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The Asian Connection MLB Open 2024 Season in South Korea

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is bringing a lot of excitement to the Giants for the 2024 season at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

The Asian Connection -MLB Open 2024 Season in South Korea

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

For the first time, Major League Baseball’s regular season will open its 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea, as the Los Angeles Dodgers will face during a two-game series on March 20 and 21, where each team will play once as the home team. “There are a lot of baseball fans in Seoul, and it’s a beautiful city, so the MLB proposed that it would like to hold the opening games here, and of course, we agreed,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, 63, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

The series will be played at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the home of the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO. It was also the host site of first-round games in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The domed stadium was built in 2015 and has a capacity of 16,744

Although only 4% of all Major League players are Asian, fans in Seoul, South Korea, are hoping to see Dodgers players like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both from Japan as well as San Diego Padres Yu Darvish, from Japan and also a nice homecoming for South Korean Ha-Seong Kim.

Chan Ho Park, the pitcher, was the first South Korean former professional baseball player to play in the major leagues and was the first South Korean player to be named an MLB All-Star. But there is little doubt that the most significant baseball star that fans want to see, Shohei Ohtani, has become the most well-known international figure of American Major League Baseball; Ohtani has excellent global traction.

Talking about this two-game season opener in South Korea, Commissioner Rob Manfred, “We’re going to get off quick. We’re opening in Korea, and it’ll be Ohtani’s first game (with the Dodgers),” he said, before adding with a smile, “every once in a while, you get lucky in terms of the way things shake out.”

Baseball is the most popular professional sport in South Korea, with around 6.4 million spectators during the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) in 2022.

American missionaries introduced baseball to Korea in the 19th century. South Korea played baseball under Japanese colonial rule under the Joseon name. Lee Young-min hit South Korea’s first-ever home run in 1921.

Local interest: Are there any South Korean players in the Bay Area? Last December, the San Francisco Giants signed signed 25 year old South Korean star outfielder Jung Hoo Lee.

ESPN will carry the Dodgers-Padres two-game opener of the 2024 MLB season from South Korea. “Why do people sing Take Me Out to The Ballgame when they’re already there? -Alex Rodríguez.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2023 Asian Winter in Baseball

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Ichiro Suzuki the former Seattle Mariners star started a huge following for Asian players in MLB. Ichiro is on the cusp of being voted in the MLB Hall of Fame. Here is Ichiro addressing the media on Fri Aug 26, 2022 the day before he was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. Ichiro will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2025 (AP News file photo)

2023 Asian Winter in Baseball

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Since the 2022 World Series ended and until today, some of the most coveted and expensive free agents in the game are players like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshiubo Yamamoto, both Japanese, who signed with the Dodgers and shelled 1 Billion dollars total for both players. ($1 Billion US dollars is equal to 141,613,142,860 Japanese Yen)

Also, Jung Hoo Lee, a South Korean outfielder who signed with the San Francisco Giants; Masataka Yoshida with the Boston Red Sox; and Yuki Matsui, who signed with the San Diego Padres from the Japanese professional leagues.

Not signed yet: From Japan, the two free agents are Shota Imanaga, a lefty-control pitcher, and Naoyuki Uwasawa, a right-handed pitcher. Uwasaka was not even posted yet.

-The West Coast a Pioneer to Asian players:

-Japan: The first Japanese player was pitcher Masanori Murakami, who was with the San Francisco Giants. However, after just 2 years, the connection of players from Japan to the major leagues was closed

-South Korea: In 1994, Chan Ho Park, a pitcher, became the first Korean-born player to p[play in the major leagues.

The most impactful player from Asia?  Ichiro Suzuki played from 2001 to 2019 with the Seattle Mariners: a lead-off hitter-outfielder, great contact hitter, and tremendous throwing arm from right field. Ichiro had 200 or more hits in ten consecutive seasons with the Mariners from 2001 to 2010.

Ended his career with 3,089 hits and .311 average. He will be the first Asian player inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. No other Asian baseball player has played for this long and enjoyed this much success.

During my years calling Mariners games for Spanish radio in Seattle, I met Ichiro when he first came into the major leagues from Japan; a hard worker and eccentric player, he would carry his favorite bats inside a particular case like a great violinist carries a Stradivarius.

Ichiro was very reserved as a player, some say, shy; I did interview him a few times with one of his interpreters. I would answer the question in English to his interpreter, who would then ask him in Japanese, and he (the interpreter) would return the answer in English to me.

Later, I would take the tape upstairs to my broadcast booth to edit for my pre-game show. It was exciting. One of the most curious answers he ever gave me was when I asked him if he learned any words in Spanish, and it was ‘peligroso’, which means ‘dangerous’. I later learned that he was ‘miked’ during a  live game that was nationally televised and said a word that he did not mean to say.

On October 1, 2004, Ichiro Suzuki broke George Sisler’s single-season record with a  258th hit. I called that game; it was one of Ichiro’s greatest accomplishments. That season Ichiro ended with 262 hits.

Quote: If I’m in a slump, I ask myself for advice  -Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro will not be eligible for the Hall of Fame until 2025.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Dodgers reload and acquire Yamamoto

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Yoshinobu Yamamoto seen here dealing with Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic signed a 12 year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thu Dec 21, 2023 (AP file photo)

Dodgers reload and acquire Yamamoto

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Los Angeles Dodgers so far have had a sensational off-season, which began with signing the #1 Free Agent and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to an incredible 10-year-$700 million deal. A couple of weeks later, they signed free-agent pitcher Tyler Glasnow.

Today, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, considered the best pitcher in Japan, is also a Dodger with a $375 million contract; the Yankees, the Mets, and the Giants made offers for Yamamoto, but he chose the Dodgers. No surprise here; as soon as the Dodgers signed Ohtani, the two-way superstar was recruiting Yamamoto to come to Los Angeles.

Although it is not yet confirmed, it is believed that the Yamamoto contract is for 12 years and $325 million. Also, there is a posting fee of $50 million. The $325 million is the most given to a pitcher, more than Yankees’ current American League Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, beating Cole by $1 million. Yamamoto will be making a $27 million per year salary.

The Dodgers, one of three teams last season to win 100 games, the other two were also divisional winners, Atlanta (104) and Baltimore (101), look like the team to beat again in the National League West. Adding Glasnow and Yamamoto to the Dodger rotation is crucial to their hopes of repeating as divisional champions, combined with a great top-of-the-lineup headed by three of the best hitters of MVP caliber in the game: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani.

The Giants also were interested in Yamamoto, but the Dodges outbid them. The Giants’ best free-agent signing is South Korean star outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee, who received a 6-year $113 million contract from San Francisco; he can opt-out after four seasons.

His agent is Scott Boras, and many in the business believe that although Lee is a star outfielder, Boras might have oversold the player to the Giants. Cody Bellinger, who had a great season with the Chicago Cubs, is still available and one of the best position players in this 2023 class of free agents.

Many teams have shown interest in the 2019 NL Most Valuable Player; if the Giants want Bellinger, they might have to overspend, some say around $200 million. With all respect to Bellinger, I do not think he is worth that much.

Still, it is all relative to how much the Giants would want Bellinger in Orange and Black. By not acquiring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Giants continue to ‘swing and miss’ at the most prominent free-agent names available during the last few years.

According to Alex Pavlovic, Yamamoto informed the Giants that he would not be signing with them; the Red Sox and Blue Jays were also after the Japanese hurler. The Giants’ offseason focus was on Ohtani and Yamamoto. Unfortunately, not only did neither choose to come to San Francisco, but they went to LA to the Dodgers, the one team the Giants despise the most. Like the French say: “c’est la vie. — that’s life.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Yamamoto signs 12 year, $325 million deal with Dodgers

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto seen delivering in the World Baseball Classic on Mar 20, 2023 in Miami. Yamamoto has joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thu Dec 21, 2023 on a 12 year contract. (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg and Lewis Rubman

Super star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is dealing at the bargaining table before he starts dealing on the mound. Yamamoto signed a 12 year $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers joining Japanese two way player pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.

If Ohtani was pitching this season the two would have a lot of fireside chats in the Dodgers bullpen but as everyone well knows Ohtani will be the Dodgers designated hitter. Yamamoto a right hander becomes the second highest paid guaranteed pitcher.

Yamamoto won three straight Sawamura Awards which is Japan’s equal to MLB’s Cy Young Award. Yamamoto was one of the best pitchers to come through the Japan’s big leagues in it’s 74 year history. Yamamoto was a well sought after pitcher with the New York Mets who were the expected front runners for Yamamoto followed by the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays.

Yamamoto had an amazing run in Japanese ball throwing 820 1/3 innings with a 1.65 ERA and allowed only one home run in every 28 innings pitched. Yamamoto has a mix of pitches split finger, a curve ball that loops and has hitters off balance and bend their knees to take a swipe at it and a devastating 99 MPH fast ball.

Yamamoto is noted as being as good as any pitcher that came from Japan. He’s 5’10 and 176 pounds. He most likely will be the number one pitcher in the Dodger starting rotation. He will have Ohtani with him to give him pointers on how to throw to certain hitters that he faced when he pitched.

With the acquisition of Yamamoto and Ohtani’s encouragement behind him this could catapult the Dodgers into the NL West stratosphere with Yamamoto’s pitching and Ohtani’s hitting. The Dodgers failed to make it to the NL Championship series last season so there are big expectations for them to make it to the World Series this season with Yamamoto and Ohtani on their roster.

Yamamoto’s sterling record in Japan doesn’t, however, guarantee him success in Los Angeles.  In a recent interview with Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, Brian Cashman noted some of the differences between the Nippon Professional Association and MLB.

These include a difference in the size the baseball in the two organizations; multi-time zone travel in the States; the longer MLB season; Japan’s traditional Monday days off; the use of the six man rotation rotation in Japan; and the higher overall level of play in the MLB.

Cashman, who was wooing Yamamoto at the time, added that his scouts were confident that he could overcome these possible obstacles to stateside success. The Yankee scouts might very well be correct in their assessment, but that doesn’t mean that the Dodgers have a lock on the 2024 season and beyond.

Jerry Feitelberg and Lewis Rubman are both MLB beat writers for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Gurriel Jr signs 3 yr $42 million deal with Diamondbacks; Ohtani and Acuna win the Hank Aaron Award; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Arizona Diamondbacks Lourdes Gurriel Jr joins the Arizona Diamondbacks agreeing to a three year $42 million deal on Sun Dec 17, 2023 (USA Today photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Lourdes Gurriel Jr will be returning to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a $42 million three year deal. Gurriel gets a fourth year option on his three contract. The deal also includes an opt out on the second year of the contract. Gurriel hit .261, with 144 hits and 24 home runs. How much of a good deal is this for Gurriel and the Diamondbacks.

#2 Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna are both racking up trophies. This time they both win the Hank Aaron Award for most offensive performer. Ohtani hit .304, 151 hits, and 44 home runs. Ohtani will not pitch but be the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter for the 2024 season. Acuna hit .337, 217 hits and had 106 RBIs.

#3 Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer who had off season back surgery will not be expected to be back until June or July. Scherzer was suffering back pain and was removed from last season’s World Series. His pain didn’t stop when he got home to Florida and was later diagnosed with a herniated disc.

#4 Over the weekend Amaury, the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox threw their ball caps into the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes joining the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers. Yamamoto has met with the Mets twice. These clubs have each put in a starting bid of $300 million for Yamamoto. The pressure is mounting Amaury which team will it be?

#5 It didn’t take long after being acquired by the Atlanta Braves from the San Diego Padres Matt Carpenter was released after one week. The Braves will lose around $4 million on the deal in 2022 Carpenter hit .305, with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs. Carpenter played for the Yankees from May 26 to Aug 8th. Carpenter he broke his foot on a foul ball and got back into post season on going 1 for 12 with nine strikeouts.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Red Sox, Giants, Mets, Padres, Dodgers named as top teams in Yamamoto sweepstakes; Reid and Mahomes fined for criticizing NFL officials; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Team Japan pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto seen here throwing in the World Baseball Classic in Mexico Mar 20, 2023 is being sought by five MLB teams which are said to be the two top teams bidding for Yamamoto’s services (AP file photo)

On Headlines Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, a pretty good source former Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers general manager Jim Bowden said that both the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox seemed to be the two finalists in their bid to get Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Bowden said both clubs are down for the $300 million to get Yamamoto it’s just a matter of who will outbid who for Yamamoto.

#2 The NFL fined Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid $100,000 and quarterback Patrick Mahomes $50,000 for public criticism of the officiating. Mahomes was yelling at the on field officials. Mahomes picked up an unsportsmanship like conduct last Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Mahomes said the penalty was “elementary school (stuff)” and Reid said that he and Mahomes normally would get a warning prior to getting penalized and said of Kadarius Toney’s penalty was “a bit embarrassing in the National Football League.”

#3 Former Los Angeles Laker center star Kareem Abdul Jabbar broke his hip when he fell at a concert on Friday. Jabbar 76, said that he was deeply appreciative of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Jabbar’s representative Deborah Morales said they were an  “amazing medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital who are taking great care of (him).”

#4 Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said this will be his last year in pro football. Bridgewater came into the NFL in 2014 with the Minnesota Vikings he missed 2015 and 2016 with a dislocated ACL and dislocated knee, he played for the Saints, Panthers, Broncos, and Dolphins. Bridgewater said that for three hours he realized he’s just a football player outside of that the injuries put everything in prospective.

#5 Turning to Major League Baseball the Los Angeles Dodgers introduced two way player Shohei Ohtani at a press conference on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani was fitted with a a Dodger cap and jersey while meeting the press and will be the designated hitter for the 2024 season. Ohtani didn’t answer questions about having Tommy John surgery he will not pitch this season.

#6 The San Francisco Giants big signing came when Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee signed a six year $113 million deal. Lee is expected to add if not be the biggest name in the line up for the 2024 season. Lee hit .318 with six home runs in 86 games last season. Lee’s season ended in July when he needed left ankle surgery in spite of it all MLB clubs came calling and it was the Giants that Lee signed with.

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Big Star Free Agents do not come to San Francisco

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is being sought by the New York Mets brass who flew out to Japan to meet him. The San Francisco Giants are interested in obtaining Yamamoto’s services. Teams seeking Yamamoto will likely turn out to be a bidding war. (AP News file photo)

Big Star Free Agents do not come to San Francisco

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

SAN FRANCISCO–Last year, the Giants tried to lure free agents Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, but they failed; other big stars like Bryce Harper (when he was a Free-Agent) have spurned the Giants. It has become much more common now that many big-name free-agent players dislike coming and playing in San Francisco.

It is not the money because the players I am talking about get the cash they want anywhere. It could be about the reputation that San Francisco has nationwide nowadays. Could it be the City by the Bay social-political situation has become not a favorite destination for some of the game’s biggest stars?

Most of these big-name free-agent players that get those multi-million dollar contracts tend to be conservative or non-political, and sometimes San Francisco doesn’t ‘rub them well”. They are all aware of this because, in today’s communication world, there is more than enough information out there, especially in social media.

This is what Farhan Zaidi, GM of the Giants, told Sussan Slusser of the SF Chronicle last year: “When we’re doing our research on free agents, and we find that players aren’t really that happy even coming into town for a three-game series, they’re probably not going to be that excited to play there for a long time.

So I think that’s part of what fueled our strategy of targeting guys with Bay Area ties. … Free agency is really, really competitive, especially at the top of the market. Even when you think you can sign a player, you’re probably not; that’s how it works. So when you don’t think you’ll sign a player, you’re definitely not going to sign him.”

No team needed Ohtani more than the Giants, but he is also not coming here. After Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, another Japanese player remains of high value; it is pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the best pitcher in Japan; estimates of this 25-year-old pitching star are that he could earn as much as a $300 million contract, and the Dodgers (of course) will go after him to paired him with Ohtani as they both won the 2023 World Baseball Classic together and have been playing together for years now.

Other free agents are Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Jung-Hoo Lee, Teoscar Hernández, JD Martínez, Dylan Cease, Blake Snell, Corbin Burns, and Tyler Glasnow. Giants could use some more power in that lineup; Bellinger might be a good choice.

This 2023 off-season, the Giants went after Shohei Ohtani (who, like Aaron Judge last year, was the biggest fish to catch). Still, Ohtani decided to stay in Southern California and signed the richest-ever contract in American sports with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a 10-year mega-deal for $700 million.

Another reason for Giants fans to hate the Dodgers, but at this time, the Giants fans cannot be pleased with their General Manager Pete Putila. Is he a victim of circumstances that are beyond his control? What can you do if you offer big money contracts but players do not consider your offers? The mega-stars are not coming to San Francisco.

Note: Tom Cruise made $100 million for “Top Gun: Maverick,” his most recent movie, a worldwide success. Ohtani is making $700 million in 10 years with the Dodgers, also in Hollywood.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com