Disaster. Embarrassment. Humiliation. Disaster.
Choose one. Choose all four. Pick any word you want, and it won’t come close to describing the last 24 hours for the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants had their next face in the franchise, the keystone of their roster for years to come, the guy who would help restore their reputation on and off the field, and then they just don’t….
Carlos Correa is now dead, all because of a vague medical issue that gave the Giants pause before letting the ink dry on his 13-year contract. A successful offseason suddenly turned into a smoldering mess, with the Giants completely feeling the addition of all star power to an uninspiring roster and Giants fans wondering why they should even care more.
It is difficult to put into words the extent of the debacle of this situation. Giants fans have been conditioned for years to expect rejection from any free agent of substance, but this was the offseason, and that was all about to change. Aaron Judge didn’t work out, but signing Correa was a huge win. The Giants were suddenly players for long-term, big-money free agents, with names like Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto on the horizon of the free market.
Now? Which free agent will seriously consider the Giants if similar offers are on the table? Walking away from Correa’s deal if the Giants discovered a serious medical issue is one thing, but everything indicates that the concern was about an injury he had before he even reached the major leagues. It looks like the Giants got cold feet, for some reason, and made every excuse they could make out of the contract. Who is going to trust a team with that reputation?
The Giants themselves could have clarified their side of things with a statement, but instead issued a short film it boiled down to “sorry, HIPAA, what can you do?” with a shrug emoji attached and have remained silent ever since. Oh, that’s not quite true – the team sent out emails telling people that spring training tickets were on sale.
Could a front office be more deaf? The fanbase’s worst fears have come true and the Giants’ response is to carry on as if nothing had happened. Unbelievable.
The offseason is a total and complete failure – possibly the worst the team has had in its history. The Giants failed on every count: they failed to get any younger, they failed to become more athletic, they failed to improve their defense, and perhaps most damningly, they failed. failed to become more interesting. There’s no one left in the market with skills comparable to Correa’s – sure, there are a few things they can add here and there, but no one will have the same kind of impact. Person who will move the needle.
Giants fans are also right to be upset. They have a right to be pissed off, really. After a week of hype, with who knows how many tickets sold out on the pretense of seeing Correa in orange and black, the rug was completely ripped out from under them in the middle of the night. All the good feelings created by the Giants were wiped out in an instant.
And why? Maybe there really was a hugely concerning medical issue, but until we hear otherwise, people are going to assume the Giants are simply cold-blooded at the thought of a 13-year commitment. And their excuse for “medical reasons” rings hollow as they have just handed over a contract to Mitch Haniger, who played only 57 games last year, as well as Tommy La Stella and Anthony DeSclafani in previous years. Are you telling me these guys passed their medical exams with flying colors? Hell, on Wednesday the team was reportedly interested in Michael Conforto – a guy so injured he hasn’t played at all in 2022.
But the most frustrating thing is watching the Giants act like a small-market, risk-averse team that has to weigh every decision they make in dollars and cents. Of course, there’s a risk when handing out a long-term deal, and there’s a good chance Correa will be injured multiple times over the next 13 years. But then what? Giants are worth BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. Their baseball stadium is paid. Mission Rock is about to start printing money. They play in one of the largest media markets in the country. And yet, a $350 million deal was just too much for them? Ridiculous.
The Giants owe their fans an explanation. They can’t just issue a short press release and call it a day. Fans deserve to know what happened and why this team still can’t convince anyone substantial to take their money.
And until they do, fans have every right not to spend a dime on the Giants.
Dave Toberer (@gggiants on Twitter) is a lifelong Giants fan whose family has had subscriptions for over 30 years. He was lucky enough to never miss a World Series game at The City in his lifetime, still hasn’t quite made it past 2002, and lives and dies with the Giants every year.
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