Juan Soto is on a trajectory to be one of the greatest hitters of all time. He's a generational offensive talent. And yet, he wasn't a fit for the San Francisco Giants. At least not right now. Not with one year of team control remaining. Not when the SF Giants have spent years building up their farm system to the point where it actually looks ready to produce impact MLB talent for the first time in a decade. Imagine blowing all of that up for one year of a great player. Yes, the present matters, but that's what free agency is for.

And last we checked, almost all of this year's free agents are still unsigned. That's because Shohei Ohtani's free agency is holding up the entire market. The San Francisco Giants appear to at least have a seat at the table as a decision is likely imminent. Giants fans are used to heartbreak, and it certainly wouldn't be surprising to see Ohtani sign elsewhere, but at least they're in the mix. The SF Giants also depart the Winter Meetings as one of the teams considered to be a finalist for 25-year-old Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

All in all, these 2023 Winter Meetings in Nashville were a total dud. At the time of this recording, even the Soto trade hadn't officially happened (but it did afterwards). Patience. The slow drip that has been the 2023 offseason will soon yield into a frenzy of activity, and it all starts at the top with Ohtani. Buckle up, Giants fans. Sooner or later, the dam is going to break.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

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