The San Francisco Giants are setting their sights high for the upcoming MLB offseason, with hopes of securing the talents of both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
However, it appears the Giants also had their eyes on another star pitcher, Sonny Gray, before he opted to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Giants expressed interest in Gray, who had previous connections with key figures in their organization:
“Giants had interest in Sonny Gray, whose tenure with the A’s overlapped for two seasons with Farhan Zaidi and five with Bob Melvin. Gray, though, was intent on playing relatively close to his home in Nashville, which is about a 4 1/2-hour drive from St. Louis.”
Gray, at 34 years old, is embarking on a new chapter in his career with the Cardinals. He expressed his commitment to focusing on business as he dons the Cardinals jersey. Gray’s 2023 season with the Minnesota Twins was exceptional, earning him second place in the American League Cy Young award voting. He posted an 8-8 record with a 2.79 ERA and 2.83 FIP in 32 starts, marking one of the best seasons of his career.
With Gray off the table, the Giants are back in the hunt for Shohei Ohtani, a pursuit fueled by the desire to make a significant free-agent signing. They have previously missed out on big-name free agents like Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, and Carlos Correa. The Giants currently project a payroll of $148 million for the 2024 MLB season as they continue their quest to strengthen their roster.